The Crusades

During the late 1000's, the Seljuq Turkss, a Muslim people from Central Asia, gained control of the Palestine-known among Christians as "the Holy Land." They went on and attacked Asia Minor, part of the Byzantine Empire. THey they threatened the capital city of Constantinople, the Byzintine emporer called the Pope Urban II in Rome for help. They wanted the Holy Land back so they called cal meeting of church leaders and fuedal lords in 1095. They met in Clermont, France and they jooined together to regain the land. This Began the Crusades, a series of military expeditions to regain the Holy Land. At least 10,000 died. They sewed a cross on their clothes and were called Crusaderes.
The first Crusade lasted frim 1096 to 1099. French and Italian lords lead several armies from Europe to Constaninople. The Turks emporer saw the army coming and feared that they would take the city so the let the crusders pass through the city. They suffered from heat and lack of food and water but luckly Italy brought them food. After a series of battles, they captures Jerusalem. After they slaughtered all the Musslium and Jeruslim inhabitants.
After 100 years, the Truks started gaining back the lands they lsot. By 1146 they had reuntied their forces. In 1147 the second Crusade began. King Luis VII of France and king Conrad III led seperate armies then met up and they didn't regain controll. In 1149 the Turks returned to Europr in disgrce.
In 1187 the Muslim leader Saladin gained controll of Jerusalem. The crusade lasted from 1189 to 1192. They could not recapture after Barbossa drowned.
Pope Innocent III gathered a group and French knights for the Fourth Crusade. In 1202 they left ships provided by the Italian city-state Venice and procuded to attack Zadar. Crusaders whom attacked it were latter excicutted by Innocence. Then in 1204 they attacked and looted Consantinople. THey stole many holy things to the Byzantine Christisans. Constinople remained under their control for 60 years THe once stong empiure Contisiple collapsed in 1453.
In 1212 The Childrens Crsade took place. Young people decided to march to the holy Land and regain controll. BY the time the reached the Medderterainian they were a small mob. Atemps to regain it lasted until 1291 when the Musslums captured Arce. Acre was the last Christian stongholdand with its fall, the Crusades ended.
During the Crusade the wepon of choise was a cross bow. The fund the Crusades many land lords stle their land. During the Crusades Christian churches became popular. Between 1096 and 1291 thousands of crusaders traveled to the Holy Land. THey also gained knowlage from the Byzantines and Mussluems and helped inrich their empire. Italian citys also become main trading ports. Thats when Europeans began buying good like apricots, leons, melons, rice and sugar.