A Brief History of the Crusades
A concise overview of one of the most significant periods in Medieval history
Setup: First Crusade & Revival of Muslim Jihad
Of all the military conflicts between Christianity and Islam, the 200-year long holy wars — Crusades — are of the greatest significance vis-à-vis their impact on the ever-changing geopolitical landscape of two of the greatest religions in the history of mankind.
Led by Western European Christians, Crusades were a series of military campaigns, aimed at regaining the control of former Christian territories including the holy city of Jerusalem, which had been conquered by the Muslims in the last five centuries, and to prevent the further expansion of Islam in the Eastern Mediterranean.
However, the question is what actually transpired that, after five centuries of constant Muslim conquest and the rapid expansion of Islam, the Christians finally resorted to a unified effort of war against Islam.
Moreover, by the latter half of the 11th century, Muslims had already conquered…
