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The Crusades – Wars That Changed the World Directions:Readandexaminetheselectionateachstationandanswertheconnectedquestion.

Rise and Fall of Papal Power AtthestartoftheCrusades,thepowerofthePapacy(thepositionofthePope)wasalreadyontherise,buttheCrusadestookthatpowertoevengreaterheights.AstheonepersonwhohadtheauthoritytocallforaCrusade,onlythePopehadthepowertobringtogetherknightsandlordsfromthemanylandsWesternEuropetofightasanarmyathisinstruction.ThepeopleofEuropealsolookedtothePopesasguidesandleaders,andgavetheirmoneytothechurchtosupporttheCrusades.Intheend,however,thepowerofthePopedeclinedalongwiththefailingCrusades,whileatthesametimetheKingsofEuropewerebecomingmorepowerful,andevenchallengingtheordersofthePope(whoactuallyorderedafewsmallCrusadesagainstthosekings).WhilestillastrongforceinWesternEurope,thePapacywouldneveragainbeasstrongasitwasinthemidstoftheCrusades.

1. HowdidtheCrusadesaffectthepowerofthePope?Trade Across the Mediterranean

CrusaderslearnedearlythattravelingtotheMiddleEastoverlandwasdifficultanddangerous.TherewasaneedforquickerandsafertransportationofmenandsuppliesfromWesternEuropetotheEasternMediterranean.NorthernItaliancitiesalongthecoast,suchasVeniceandGenoa,builtlargefleetsofshipstobringtheCrusaderstotheirdestinations,iftheycouldaffordit.AsCrusadingdiedout,theVenetiansandGenoeseusedtheirnownumerousshipsfortrade,whichincreasedandexpanded.NewluxurygoodsfromtheMiddleEastandbeyondwerebeingimportedbyItalianmerchants,suchassilksandotherfabrics,preciousstones,perfumes,pearls,ivory,andspices.

ThosewhohadlivedintheCrusaderStateshadbecomeaccustomedtothesefinegoods,anddemandincreasedacrossEurope,bringinggreaterandgreaterwealthtoNorthernItaly.

2. WhydidtradeincreaseinWesternEuropeaftertheCrusades?Givetworeasons.

Feudal System and the Power of Monarchs UntiltheCrusades,thepoliticalsystemdominantinMedievalEuropehadbeenFeudalism,inwhichland-owninglordsprovidedlandtotheirvassalsinexchangeforprotection.FeudalEuropewasdecentralized,meaningmajorcentralauthorities,suchaskingsoremperors,hadlittlerealcontrolovertheirlands.Truepowerwasinthehandsofhigh-rankinglordswithtitleslikeDuke,Count,Prince,orBaron.ThisbalancebegantoshiftduringtheCrusades.Monarchs,orKings,wontherighttocollecttaxesfromtheirsubjectstoraisefundsfortheCrusades,whichincreasedtheircontrolovertheirlands.Atthesametime,lordsinneedofmoneytogoonCrusadethemselvesbegandemandingcashratherthancropsfromtheirpeasants,whowenttotownstosellwhattheyhadgrown.Nolongerserfsboundtotheland,thesepeasantswerenowonlyrentinglandandcouldleaveiftheywished,whichgavelordslesscontrol.AslordsleftfortheCrusades,thekingshadlesscompetition,andifthelordsdiedoverseas,andmanydid,theirlandsweregiventotheking.

3. DescribetwowaystheCrusadesweakenedtheFeudalsysteminWesternEurope?Explainwhy.Religious Diversity in Europe

WhiletheCrusadesweresupposedtobeabouttheHolyLand,manylesswell-knownactuallytookplaceinEurope.Sweden,Denmark,andtheTeutonicKnightsofGermanyfoughtthe“NorthernCrusades”againstpagans(non-Christians)wholivedinNorthernEuropearoundtheBalticSea,whereChristianityhadnotyetreached.EasilydefeatedbyChristianknights,theBalticpagansweregivenforcedbaptisms,theirlandswereconquered,andmanywerekilled.Intheend,theselandsbecameChristian.InSpain,anotherCrusadewastakingplaceagainsttheMuslimsinthesouth.FightingbetweenIslamicSpainandtheNorthernChristian

Kingdomshadbeenhappeningforcenturies,butwhenthePopeturneditintoaCrusade,knightscamefromEngland,France,andbeyondtohelpexpeltheMuslims.By1492,thelastMuslimterritorywasconquered,andSpainwasconqueredforChristianity.OnegroupthatsufferedthroughouttheCrusadeswastheJews.TheylivedinmanypartsofEurope,butduringtheCrusadesmanyJewishcommunitieswereattackedandmassacred,andmanykingsforcedJewstoleavetheircountries.

4. HowwastheideaofCrusadeusedagainstreligiousminoritiesinEurope?Givethreeexamples.

Learning and Culture TheinfluenceoftheCrusadesupontheintellectualdevelopmentofEuropecanhardlybeoverestimated.Whileeducation,technology,andtradehadalldeclinedWesternEuropesincethefallofRome,theMuslimMiddleEastwasexperiencingaGoldenAgeofdevelopmentandprosperity.TheCrusadesgreatlyincreasedWesterncontactwiththeEast,exposingtheCrusaderstodiversecultures,advancedtechnologies,andtheknowledgeofthescience,medicine,mathematics,andphilosophy,includingArabictranslationsofforgottenGreekandRomantexts,whichwasbroughtbacktoEurope.Thus,theCrusadesgreatlystimulatedtheLatinintellect,andhelpedtoawakeninWesternEuropethatmentalactivityandmotivationforimprovement,whichresultedfinallyinthegreatintellectualoutburstknownastheRevivalofLearningandeventuallytheperiodoftheRenaissance.

5. HowandwhydidtheCrusadesimproveeducationinWesternEurope?The Byzantine Empire ItwasarequestforhelpfromByzantineEmperorAlexiusIthatbeganthefirstCrusade.PopeUrbanhadoriginallycalledonChristianstodefendConstantinoplefromtheattacksoftheSeljukTurks,inadditiontosavingtheHolyLand.However,theByzantinesquicklyregrettedtheirrequestasCrusadersrepeatedlyrobbedByzantinetownsontheirwaytotheCrusades.However,theFourthCrusadewasworsethantheycouldhaveimagined.Unorganizedasusual,theCrusadersarrivedattheItaliancityofVenicetotakeshipstotheHolyLand,buttheydidnothaveenoughpeopletopayfortheships.Topayforthetrip,theyofferedtofightagainsttheByzantineEmperorattherequestoftheEmperor’sbrothersothathecouldtakethethroneinstead.ButwhenthenewEmperordidnotpaythemaspromised,theCrusadersattackedConstantinople,rapingandpillagingastheywent,andconqueredtheByzantineEmpireforthemselves,creatingwhattheycalledthe“LatinEmpire.”EventuallytheByzantineswontheirempireback,buttheyweregreatlyweakened,settingthemuptobeconqueredtwocenturieslaterbytheOttomanTurks.

6. Whatissoironic(surprisinglyoppositeoftheexpected)abouttheimpactoftheCrusadesontheByzantineEmpire?