The first army to arrive in Constantinople was that commanded by Godfrey of Bouillon. They arrived on the shores of Constantinople in December 1097, just weeks before Christmas. Alexius I Comnenus was prepared to meet this second army of Franks, but in no way was he looking forward to it. The annihilation of the people's... Continue Reading →
Nicetas – unaware of what Peter’s army had done to his mercenaries in Hungary -- received them well and so had the locals. He opened the markets to the crusaders, trusting that they would purchase everything they needed and then move on. Unfortunately, that was not the case. As the crusaders set out east, a... Continue Reading →
The first army that left for the Holy Land was that of Peter the Hermit's. It wasn't an actual army because the vast majority of his followers were peasants and laymen; many men had taken their entire families with them. Only a small minority of Peter's following were knights, commanded by the pious knight, Walter... Continue Reading →
This is another guest article by Author Helena Schrader. When we look back on the Crusades, we are more likely to think of the French, who dominated the Christian crusader kingdoms in “Outremer,” than the English. Alternatively, we might think of the Germans, who contributed huge contingents of troops to the First, Second, Third, and... Continue Reading →
Born 1412 in Domremy. Died 1431 in Rouen. Jeanne d’Arc, a young peasant woman, believed she was commanded by God to unite the French people and repel the English invaders from France. She led the French army in a crushing victory at Orleans in 1429, one that severely crippled English attempt conquer France during the... Continue Reading →
When Pope Urban got a hold of the Byzantine Emperor's letter -- Alexius Comnenus had intended for the letter to be passed on to him -- he took matters into his own hands. Not only did he hate the Muslims, Urban shared the same deep-rooted fear as did Emperor Alexius: Should military help not arrive... Continue Reading →
News of al-Hakim's ruthless persecution of Christians wasn't the sole event that triggered hatred in the west. The Byzantine Empire in the eleventh century was on the brink of destruction. In the 1040s, Turkish warriors migrated from the steppes of central Asia and conquered Persia, then invaded Armenia and Iraq, and conquered Baghdad in the... Continue Reading →
In order to fully understand Pope Urban's reason for preaching Holy War, one must study the series of events that took place leading up the First Crusade. Islam Before 1095 Islam was born in around 610 AD when a man named Muhammad started receiving revelations from God through the Archangel Gabriel. Muhammad bears much resemblance... Continue Reading →
This is another guest post by Author Helena Schrader. The crusader states, established at the beginning of the 12 century, rapidly developed unique political institutions and their own legal traditions. One of the most interesting ways in which they set themselves apart from contemporary societies was the prominent role played by women. In the surrounding... Continue Reading →
This is a guest post by Helena Schrader. The crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem is most frequently depicted in modern literature and film as a desert wasteland dotted with massive castles on barren hills. This image traces its roots at least in part to accounts by crusaders and pilgrims from Northern Europe, who found the Holy... Continue Reading →
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