The Crusades

Muslims Conquer Jerusalem

Feb 9, 1071

1071-1085
The mercenary Seljuk Turks conquered Syria and Palestine as the Byzantine army was destroyed by the Turks. Jerusalem was captured and taken for the Saracen caliphs.

Emperor Alexius Sends His Concerns

Feb 9, 1095

Emperor Alexius I sent a message to Pope Urban II concerning the killings and massacres occurring in Jerusalem and the growing threat of the Turks near Constantinople.

Urabn Calls For The Crusade

Nov 9, 1095

November 1095- Pope Urban II gathered a council or priests and noble knights at Clermont in France. Pope Urban II asked for a crusade against the Muslims. The council was called the Council of Clermont.

The First Crusade

Jan 1, 1096

Summer 1096- armed forces assembled at the city of Constantinople to start the journey of the First Crusade.

Peoples Crusade Destroyed

Oct 1, 1096

October 1096- The People's Crusade were destroyed by the Turks in Anatolia.

Siege of Nicacea and the battle of Dorylaeum

Feb 9, 1097

The Crusaders enagage in the Siege on Nicacea and the battle of Dorylaeum takes place.

Siege Of Antioch

Feb 9, 1098

After 8 months of battle, Antioch falls in the hands of the Christian Army.

The End of the First Crusade

Feb 13, 1099

The First Crusade, the People’s Crusade, was led by many Kings and military leaders including Count Raymond IV of Toulouse and Peter the Hermit and it ended in 1099. The First Crusade was a sort of an accomplishment, as the Christians captured Jerusalem, after a year of fighting, but was then recaptured by the Muslims, after approximately 200 years in 1187.

Start Of The Second Crusade

Feb 13, 1147

The Second Crusade was declared by Pope Eugene III in 1144 and it was the first crusade to be led by Europeans Kings such as Louis VII of France and the Holy Roman emperor Conrad the Third of Germany. Although the armies marched separately across Europe, they joined forces to attack Damascus at the council of Acre on the 24th of June 1148.

Council Of Acre

Jun 24, 1148

The council of Acre met at Palmarea, a major city of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem on the 24th of June, 1148 after the two armies of Conrad III of Germany and Louis VII of France had journeyed their separate ways earlier in 1147. It was determined, after much discussion at the meeting that the crusaders would march to Damascus and lay a siege on the city.

Siege Of Damascus

Feb 13, 1149

The crusaders laid a siege on Damascus, but after a few days were forced to flee because of heavy defensive attacks organised by the Muslims. The crusaders accomplished nothing in this crusade.

The beginning of the Third Crusade

Feb 13, 1189

After the new Muslim leader, Saladin, had seized the city of Acre and Jerusalem, Henry II of England and Phillip II of France ended their war against each other, and joined alliance to journey under the Cross to restore Christianity supremacy in Syria and recapture the Holy Land.

Siege Of Acre

Oct 4, 1191

King Phillip and Richard came by sea and captured the City of Acre after a long and difficult siege against the army of Saladin. After disagreements between King Philip and King Richard, Philip went back home and the crusades were left with Richard.

Truce Between 'The Lionheart' and Saladin

Feb 13, 1192

King Richard ad Saladin concluded a truce by the terms in which Christians were allowed to visit Jerusalem without paying tributes, have free access to holy sites and remain in undisturbed control of the coast of Jaffa to Tyre. Many accomplishments were successful in this Crusade as Christians were given more freedom and rights in the Holy Land.

The Fourth Crusade

Feb 13, 1202

Pope Innocent III, was a young and enthusiastic Pope who continuously and tiredly tired to unite the Christians under one banner and wage another war against Islam. This time, the crusaders focused their eyes on Egypt, as it was believed Egypt was the centre of all Muslim power. The crusaders used Venice to transport the army to the Mediterranean under the agreement with the Venetians that the City of Zara was captured first.

The Sack of Constantinople

Feb 13, 1204

After seizing the City of Zara, the crusaders took Constantinople by storm. The Crusaders captured the city and the city was burned down in great part, the inhabitants had been murdered and many significant monuments, paintings and statues were destroyed.

The Children's Crusade

Feb 13, 1212

The Children’s Crusade, in 1212, was an unsuccessful crusade led by a French Peasant boy named Stephen of Coyes. During that year, 30,000 French children assembled in bands and trooped through the towns carrying banners and crosses. The children were set out to journey to the holy land, but those who sailed were betrayed and sold into slavery in Alexandria and other Muslim slave markets.

First Minor Crusade

Feb 13, 1216

The Fifth Crusade, which begun in 1216, were led by Kings of Hungary and Cyprus. It was again unsuccessful as the Crusaders were destroyed in Egypt in 1220.

The Sixth Crusade

Feb 13, 1227

The Sixth Crusade, starting in 1227 and lasting for about 2 years, succeeded in securing restoration of Jerusalem and numerous cities in Palestine. The sixth crusade was led by Fredrick II of Germany.

Seventh Crusade

Feb 13, 1248

The Seventh Crusade, commanded by Louis IX of France was an failed crusade by approximately hundreds of thousands of troops who were captured and defeated by the Muslim army led by Ayyubid Sultan Turanshah.

End Of the Fourth Crusade

Feb 13, 1261

After the Fourth Crusade, Constantinople had declined dramatically in strength and could no longer with stand the almighty strength of the Turks. After two centuries the city fell effortlessly to the hands of the Turks.

The Eight Crusade

Feb 13, 1270

The Eight Crusade, in 1270, was again led by Louis IX of France. This time the king died from a plague in North Africa and nothing was accomplished and as a result, the Eight Crusade had ended.

Final Crusade

Feb 13, 1271

The Ninth and last Crusade, in 1271, was led by the Prince of England Edward and afterwards King Edward the First. The more fortunate King Edward captured Nazareth and in negations with the Sultan of Egypt, a treaty was agreed upon to favour the Christians in the Last Crusade. The Crusades ended in 1272.