The Crusades are remembered as one of the more gruesome acts of war in Middle Eastern and European history. The world was in a stage of progress, flowering after the end of the Dark Ages, and people looked to the future with bright hopes. [ (McKay, Hill and Ebrey) ] It was in this mindset of hope and religious fervor that Emperor Alexius I of Byzantine was able to persuade Pope Urban II to call for able-bodied men to assist in his war to reclaim the Holy Land from the Muslim people. [ (A&E Television Networks, LLC) ] Thus began the First Crusade in 1096 and sparked a series of wars in which Jerusalem passed between Muslim and Christian hands numerous times. Even now, peace in the “kingdom of Heaven” remains elusive, and in 2005, Ridley Scott directed the movie, “Kingdom of Heaven”, following the highly fictionalized life of Balian of Ibelin.
Natural resentment towards the Muslim settlers was instilled through the church, and it was because of this the Papacy was able to use Crusades from the 1200’s onwards to remove threats in Spain and to the east. The coherent theme of the following crusades was the use of the defence of the Holy Land as a catalyst for rallying Christian Knights to the Pope’s right hand. By the Grace of God and the zeal
The revelations that Muhammad received are now considered to pivotal text included within the Islamic Qur’an (Islamic bible). It is important to note when trying to understand Islam, that around 631 A.D. Muhammad was able to enter into the city of Mecca and convert all the Arabic tribes to Islam. Islam and Christianity are similar in many ways, however the main difference in the religions lies in their beliefs that God is singular, Jesus was just a prophet, Jesus was not crucified, heaven can be obtained by the works of man (doing good deeds, or bad deeds), and the concept of Trinity is unconceivable. Muslims believe that Allah will judge everyone in the afterlife based on whether or not they had a good belief system, and whether they fulfilled their obligations to Islam. Muslims are obligated to do the
Cornell Glass WH 1-12 The Invasion of Iraq and the Crusades Essay Introduction There have been a lot of wars but it seems like Iraq and Afghanistan have been fighting other countries for a really long time, just so they could protect their land from invaders. In my paper I will be talking about the similarities and differences between the early crusades and the wars today between America, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Factors for the Early Crusades The Muslims from Turks invaded the Byzantine lands and this provoked the Byzantine emperor Alexius I. The emperor of Byzantine asked for help from pope Urban II, Pope Urban the II put aside his differences with Byzantine emperor and decided to help Alexius I go to war against the Muslims. Pope Urban II lied and said that Christ demands that the Holy Land be freed from the Muslims to gain support from others, and Pope Urban II also lied when he said that the sins f those who went to fight would be washed away.
A.M.D.G A.M.D.G People involved in the Crusade and why they were important Pope Gregory VII said that sinful people were the reason why Jerusalem fell into the hands of the Muslim , so in 1704 he tried to assemble a group of knights know as the ‘milites sancti petri’ ( the knights of saint Peter) to implement papal policy . He also used the writings of Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430) it was possible to build a case whereby Christian violence could be commanded by God through his representative on earth – the Pope and if performed in the right circumstances . Henry IV Holy Roman Emperor – Henry VI assumed his seat as king and holy roman emperor when he was declared of age in 1605 and since he was poorly educated during his childhood amidst the governmental tumult and was consumed by the desire to rule, bringing little wisdom to the throne at 15. Henry found himself spread thin
The Middle Ages should be known as the Dark Ages because the chaos that occurred during that time. The Crusades was a series of wars that were fought over the ownership of the Holy Land and Jerusalem. The crusades were fought between the Holy Roman Empire and the Muslims that had control of Jerusalem. The first Crusade began when the Seljuk Turks took control of the Holy Land and didnt want the Christian to live on the land more. Byzantine Emperor Alexius the first received assistance from the Pope and formed and army to help push the Seljuk Turks out of the Holy Land.
The crusades were military expeditions in the name of the church, the ultimate goal was to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims. Palestine or the “Holy Land” were important to Christians because it was the region where Jesus lived. Regardless of the result, religion was always the primary trigger for the crusades. The extent to which religion played a role varied. For example, in the first crusade attention was focused solely on ridding the “Holy Land” of Muslim forces.
For better and/or for worse the church has had an integral part in the shaping of world and American history. I heard a quote recently from a respected Christian figure; “the greatest cause of Atheism today, are Christians…” Christianity has been used throughout history to justify a plethora of abuses against people and society; both violent and peaceful. King Charles I in 1626 noted, “People are governed by the pulpit more than the sword in time of peace.” England’s monarchs had a habit of doing just that. The people were kept in line with the crown through the Clergy, which was essentially the monarch’s sword. (p. 160) The Puritans were well aware of the abuses of the Church of England and wished to “purify” it.
According to Louis Berehler, a Crusade, by definition, is a war undertaken by a vow and is almost always religious. Through the ages, religion has caused humans to fight for what they believed in. When one thinks of a Crusade, one would most likely envision the red cross worn by soldiers That is because the red cross was the symbol utilized by the Christians in the Crusade, when they sought to recapture Jerusalem from the Turks. The crusaders distinguished themselves, because of how they fought for what they lost (Jerusalem), as well as why they fought. Whether they won the battle or lost it, the crusaders always continued the effort, until they ended up the victor, at whatever the cost in lives and equipment.
The Renaissance was a time after the Medieval Ages when culture was revived. There are many reasons that this occurred; several of which are related to geography. Some of these explanations are: the Crusades, the Mongols, and the Black Plague. The Crusades was a time of Holy War between Islam and Christianity. The pop said that Europeans needed a common enemy to unite them.