The Crusades in Global Context
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Table of Contents
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"... the Crusades did not succeed in their objectives, but they did make Europeans more curious about the rest of the world and they brought them into closer contact with the East, the Islamic world and the Byzantine Empire, which they supposedly went on Crusade to defend. At the time, those areas of the world had larger cities and were much more advanced than Western Europe.
While the Crusades were a big deal for Europeans, they were mainly a nuisance for Muslims. As historian Thomas Madden notes, the Crusades were largely forgotten in Muslim lands as they were considered victories against minor barbarians..."
Key Terms
- Battle of Tours
- Reconquista
- Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
- Granada
- Battle of Manzikert
- Alexios I
- Urban II
- Council of Clermont
- Great Northern Crusade
- Albigensians
- Jihad
- Crusader States
- Saladin
- Protestant Reformation
- Mongols
- Prester John
- Genghis Khan
- Sack of Baghdad
- Mamluk
- Tamerlane
Guided Viewing Questions
- Compare and contrast justifications for war in the Middle Ages and the modern period. What does it mean to suggest that one is no more or less “barbaric” than the other?
- Describe the key moments of military struggle between Islam and Christianity prior to the Crusades (Battle of Tours, Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, Reconquista, Battle of Manzikert).
- Summarize the key events of the early Crusades. Be sure that you know the main characteristics, along with the accomplishments and failures of the First, Third, and Fourth Crusades.
- What role did the Crusader States play in the Crusades?
- What factors contributed to a decline in the Crusading spirit after the 13th century?
- What were the long-term and short-term consequences of the Crusades?
- What impact did the Mongols have on relations between the Christian and Islamic worlds?