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First Crusade

After Byzantine Emperor Alexius I called for help with defending his empire against the Seljuk Turks, in 1095 pope Urban II called upon all Christians to join a war against the Turks, a war which would count as full penance. Crusader armies marched up towards Jerusalem, sacking several cities on their way. In 1099, they took Jerusalem, massacring the Jewish and Muslim population. As a result of the First Crusade, several small states were created, notably the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Second Crusade

After a period of relative peace, in which Christians and Muslims coexisted in the Holy Land, Bernard of Clairvaux called for a new crusade when the town of Edessa was conquered by the Turks. French and German armies marched to Asia Minor in 1147, but failed to accomplish any major successes. In 1149, both leaders had returned to their countries without any result.

Third Crusade

In 1187, Saladin captured Jerusalem. Pope Gregory VIII preached a crusade, which was lead by several of Europe's most important leaders: Richard I of England, Philip II of France and Frederick I of the Holy Roman Empire. Frederick drowned in Cicilia in 1190, leaving a unstable alliance between the English and the French. Philip left in 1191 after the fall of Acre, while Richard left the following year after establishing a truce with Saladin.

Fourth Crusade

The Fourth Crusade was initiated by pope Innocent III in 1202, but ended up in the sacking of Constantinople in 1204, as crusaders fought with Venetians and renegade Byzantines.

The vital crusading spirit was now dead, and the succeeding crusades are to be explained rather as arising from the efforts of the papacy in its struggle against the secular power, to divert the military energies of the European nations toward Syria.

Children's Crusade

An outburst of the old enthusiasm led to the Children's Crusade of 1212, which Pope Innocent III interpreted as a reproof from heaven to their unworthy elders. None of the children actually reached the Holy Land, being sold as slaves or dying during the journey of hunger.

Fifth Crusade