The Crusader Period
(1095 - 1291)
For 200 years, Palestine was dominated by the
Crusaders, who, following an appeal by Pope Urban II, came from
Europe to recover the Holy Land from the infidels. In July 1099,
after a five-week siege, the knights of the First Crusade and their
rabble army captured Jerusalem,
massacring most of the city's non-Christian inhabitants. Barricaded
in their synagogues, the Jews
defended their quarter, only to be burnt to death or sold into
slavery. During the next few decades, the Crusaders extended their
power over the rest of the country, through treaties and agreements,
but mostly by bloody military victories. The Latin
Kingdom of the Crusaders was that of a conquering minority
confined mainly to fortified cities and castles.
When the Crusaders opened up transportation routes
from Europe, pilgrimages to the Holy Land became popular and, at the
same time, increasing numbers of Jews sought to return to their
homeland. Documents of the period indicate that 300 rabbis from
France and England arrived in a group, with some settling in Acro (Akko),
others in Jerusalem.
After the overthrow of the Crusaders by a Muslim army under Saladin (1187), the Jews were again accorded a certain
measure of freedom, including the right to live in Jerusalem.
Although the Crusaders regained a foothold in the country after
Saladin's death (1193), their presence was limited to a network of
fortified castles. Crusader authority in the Land ended after a final
defeat (1291) by the Mamluks,
a Muslim military class which had come to power in Egypt.
The Eight Crusades
The First Crusade: 1096-1099
- Alexus Comnenus asked for mercenaries to defend Constantinople.
Instead he received perhaps 12,000 commoners intent on liberating
Jerusalem. The European nobility marched on Jerusalem.
The Second Crusade: 1147-1149
- Originally preached by Bernard of Clairvaux. Only a few Greek
islands were taken.
The Third Crusade: 1189-1192
- Led by Frederick Barbarosa, Richard I of England and Philip II
of France. Results in a truce which gives Christians access to
Jerusalem and the Holy Places.
The Fourth Crusade: 1202-1204
- Instead of marching on Jerusalem, this crusade was diverted to
Constantinople. The city remained in Latin hands until 1261.
The Albigensian Crusade: 1208
- Preached by Pope Innocent III against the Albigensian heretics
in southern France.
The Children's Crusade: 1212
- Preached by Stephan of Vendome and by Nicholas of Koln. One
group reached Marseilles and was sold into slavery; the other
turned back.
The Fifth Crusade: 1218-1221
The Sixth Crusade: 1228-1229
- Led by Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor. He negotiated a treaty
which led to Christian control of several important holy sites,
including Jerusalem. Jerusalem was retaken by Muslim mercenaries
in 1244.
The Seventh Crusade: 1248-1254
- Led by King Louis IX of France (Saint Louis). He captured the
Egyptian city of Damietta, but was himself taken captive in the
battle for Cairo. He was eventually ransomed.
The Eighth Crusade: 1270
- An unsuccessful attack on Tunis.
Sources: Israeli
Foreign Ministry and the WebChronology
Project |