The Crusades were some of the most influential wars in history and had major impact on western europe. These wars termed the “Holy wars” which were not very holy in terms of religion however they did spark a new age of growth and and development that would benefit western europe for the better. In the end the christians failed their mission but it allowed western europe to enter into a new era of thinking.
The crusades lasted for around 200 years and were “expansion of Christianity…the Crusades were wars sponsored by the papacy to recover the holy city of Jerusalem from the Muslims.” (384) The “Holy wars” refers to the fact that these wars were fought over the holy land of Jerusalem between two peoples: the muslims and the christians. Jerusalem was a very important city to both religions. For the christians the city was were the messiah Jesus lived and died. For the muslims it is where muhammad their profit declared that “Jerusalem was the first Qibla — the place toward which they turn in prayer.” (Huda) It was Pope Urban II who made a speech asking people to help get back the city of jerusalem that led to the first crusade.
However, the First Crusade did not come unprovoked “In the late eleventh century the Seljuk Turks took over Palestine… They harassed pilgrims and looted churches.” (384) That was when Pope Urban II was provoked to make a speech and “urged Christian knights who had been fighting one another to direct their energies against those he claimed were the true enemies of God, the Muslims.” (384) However it was not just knights who went to fight it was “Thousands of people of all classes…Most Crusaders were men, but some women came along as well” (384) The people who joined under Urban’s call is what came to be known as the first crusade with there being ” a total of nine crusades! The first four crusades were seen as the most import”(lordsandladies)
However, “After two centuries the old crusading enthusiasm died out, the old ideal of the crusade as “the way of God” lost its spell” (lordsandladies) and the crusades ultimately ended in failure but it opened up the gateways for change to western europe to begin with major effects on how the church operated, politics where dealt with, and the social and intellectual aspects went about in society. The expedition of the crusaders brought many different outlooks into the lives of the western europeans and even became one of the many leading reasons for the launch of the Renaissance. “The Renaissance began after the plague in the 14th and 15th centuries and was fueled by soldiers returning from the Crusades.”(westernreservepublicmedia).
The church
The commerce
Feudalism
Politics
Social and intellectual development