1. The Crusades

2. Reasons For… The Church of the Holy Sepulcher was burned by Fatimid caliph Al- Hakim bi-Amr Allah. This was where Jesus was said to have been buried. This isolated incident, the result of an individual, set off a chain of events.

3. Nice Excuse… This supposedly showed Europeans that Muslims were barbarians. Helped to renew faith in the power of the Pope and God. Take back the Holy Lands for the Christians Removed unsavory elements from Europe to somewhere else.

4. The First Crusade Pope Urban II called for justice against the Muslims. In 1096, the Crusaders gathered in Constantinople Attacked and conquered Nicaea, Edessa, Antioch, Tripoli, and Jerusalem in 1099. Set up Christian kingdoms in the Near East.

5. The Unsaid Reasons… There were a number of unstated reasons for the Crusades. The 3 Gs: God, Glory, and Gold. Crusaders sought wealth and fame. Crusaders killed Muslims, Jews, and even other Christians. There is one story of Crusaders killing an entire city and cannibalizing the dead.

6. Legacy of the Crusades Jerusalem fell to Saladin in 1187 The Crusades continued until 1291, though only the 1 st Crusade was successful. Constantinople fell to the Ottomans in 1453. Created a sense of European unity. Created tension between Christians and Muslims.