Gruver 1

Eyanna Gruver
Professor Turner
HIS 101
10 Dec. 2012
Essay 1: The Crusades
In the early 11
th
century, the Euroeans started a ser!es of ar"ed e#ed!t!ons to free the
Holy $and fro" Isla"!c %ule. &lthou'h th!s !s (hat the Chr!st!ans had !ntended to ach!eve, th!s
!s not (hat had actually occurred. )h!le the f!rst of the crusades (as successful !n that the
Chr!st!ans catured and held the sacred c!ty of *erusale" !n the!r 'ras for nearly a century, the
crusades to follo( d!d not occur as lanned. +or e#a"le, encoura'ed ,y the tr!u"h of the f!rst
crusade and (ant!n' to '!ve *erusale" a "ore secure forefront, the Chr!st!an forces atte"ted to
reeat the!r results and ta-e hold of the c!ty of Da"ascus !n Syr!a. .!n' $ou!s /II of +rance and
E"eror Conrad III of Ger"any led t(o ar"!es !nto the 0!ddle East to(ard Da"ascus. The
0usl!" forces roved to ,e too advanced for the" they (ere forced to retreat ,ac- to Euroe.
The Chr!st!ans had set out on the crusades to ut the Holy $and !n the hands of the!r o(n
rule, ,ut !n1turn caused a ser!es of une#ected, yet rofound effects !n the!r ho"e of Euroe.
0ethods of (arfare and "!l!tary technolo'y (ere chan'ed ,y the crusades. Castles (ere '!ven
"ore co"le# due to the defens!ve nature of the ,attles that occurred. 2verhan'!n' to(er
araets (ere added so that o!l and "!ss!les could sho(er do(n uon the ene"y. &n'ular
entrance(ays revented ene"!es fro" shoot!n' d!rectly at the 'ates. Greater offens!ve
"aneuvers (ere develoed3 s!e'e en'!nes used to ,rea- do(n (alls and 'ates ,eca"e "ore
advanced.
Gruver 2
The crusades also os!t!vely affected the econo"y of "ed!eval Euroe. Those
volunteer!n' to art!c!ate !n the crusades (ere '!ven the advanta'e of not hav!n' to ay ta#es
te"orar!ly and hav!n' all of the!r de,ts re"oved. Th!s "eant that all "oney recovered throu'h
lunder!n' (as ent!rely the!rs. 0any ca"e ,ac- fro" the crusades (!th a ,!t "ore "oney than
(hat they had left (!th. & lot of "oney (as sent on the crusades3 the !ncrease !n de"and for
(eaons, rov!s!ons, etc. caused lar'e a"ounts of "oney to ,e ut !nto c!rculat!on that other(!se
"ay have ,een unused. The crusades st!"ulated trade !n su'ar, s!ces, and s!"!lar 'oods fro"
the 0!ddle East. $u#ury 'oods, l!-e s!l- cloth, ca"e !nto d!str!,ut!on, as (ell. In add!t!on to a
"ore roserous econo"y, an !nterest !n travel and other cultures ,e'an as a result of the
crusades. Chr!st!ans (anted to travel to other countr!es to e#lore, trade, con4uer, and sread
Chr!st!an!ty3 a hu'e chan'e cons!der!n' that ,efore the crusades, "any eole (ould have never
even traveled (!th!n 5 "!les of the!r o(n ho"es.
The crusades ,e'an as an e#ed!t!on for rel!'!ous o(er. They turned !nto a fa!led
con4uest for land and !nadvertently, a "!l!tar!st!c, econo"!c, and e#lorat!ve "ot!vator for the
Chr!st!ans. )h!le the crusades "ay have !n!t!ally see"ed to have resulted !n fa!lure, !n the lon'1
run they roved to e#tre"ely ,enef!c!al and !"erat!ve to the advance"ent of "any asects of
Euroean culture.