History Contact Between East & West --> Crusades

Question 1

What were the crusades (6 marks)

Answer 1

The Crusades were a series of wars between the Christian knights in all of Europe (by the command of the Pope in 1095) and the Saracens. These wars took place for around 200 years and were mainly to recapture Jerusalem. This is because Jerusalem was captured by the soldiers of Islam in AD 638. For the next 400 years, however, Christian pilgrims could go to the holy places without any trouble. Then, in 1071, fierce Islamic soldiers called the Saracens conquered the eastern end of the Mediterranean. Thus, they stopped Christian pilgrims going to Jerusalem.
This is the definition and backstory of the Crusades.

Question 2

Why did people join the Crusades and where did they come from?
(2- 3 marks)

Answer 2

Knights and foot-soldiers came from France, Germany and England. Some of these knights went because they thought it was what God wanted. However, others went for adventure, or to get money and land.

Question 2

Who was Saladin

Answer 2

Saladin was a new leader found in Islam. He was gentle and kind but a wonderful general. In 1187 Saladin’s army recaptured Jerusalem. In 1199 the Third Crusade set out from Europe to try to capture it again. It was led by King Richard the Lionheart

Question 3

What was the reason behind the name of the Crusades

Answer 3

The wars between the Europeans and Saracens were called the Crusades because the badge of the Christian knights was a cross. The Latin word for cross is ‘crux’.

Question 4

What were the results of the Crusades

Answer 4

First of all, the Crusades made the first real bridge between the East and the West, which caused the contact between them. Secondly, the Arabs were great travellers and merchants. They knew all about India and China and travelled there to trade. So the Europeans learned about the great the civilizations in the East, and the new goods that come from them, for the first time. This was how they spread knowledge.