Second Crusades

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In total, there were seven more crusades after Pope Urban II set into motion the first. The Crusades lasted from 1096 to 1272, and in all the Crusades that followed the first, none had as significant gains as the first. By the Second Crusade (1147-1149) Muslim forces had begun their own Holy War against Christians and significantly threatened the Crusader states. In 1144 the Sultan of Aleppo captured Edessa and for this reason a second crusade was called. However, with their combined forces the Sultan of Aleppo and the Turkish ruler of Syria, Nur-al-din, crushed the crusader army and thus the second crusade came to an end. The Third Crusade took place from 1188-1192 and it was in response to the capture of Jerusalem and much of the land belonging…show more content…
Before the Crusades there really hadn’t been an instance in which the Church had condoned war and had actively sought to fight one. With the Crusade we see the Church actively using its power to further its own agenda. This is shown through the actions of Pope Urban II to who promised individuals indulgences if they took up the crusaders cross. This meant that if individuals fought in the crusades or gave money to serve the cause then they would get a free pass to heaven. As history will later show, this will be one of the reasons as to why Martin Luther and others would clamor for reform, paving the way for the further splintering of the church. Another way in which the history of Christianity was impacted by the Crusades is that they showed how much Christianity had changed from its inception. The Crusades are a reflection, in my opinion, of the corruption of the Church that existed at that time, and its immoral use of scripture to condone violence against others. In its corruption, the Church ignored the teachings of Christ, who preached peace and acceptance, not violence and war, in order to further its own agenda. It also reflects the religious zealousness that existed at the time when many people, rich, poor, young, and old, jumped at the chance to join and support the crusades. They truly believed that they were doing the right thing in fighting against Muslims and against the perceived threat of Islam. Also, another impact the Crusades had on Christian history is the way that many people remember the Crusades. Most people don’t think of the Crusades as a just war fought for the sake of Christianity and Christians. If anything, many people see it as a dark stain in the history of Christianity. A time in which corruption and zealousness overrode the teachings of Christ, in order to promote an unjust war, in which thousands upon thousands of people died in vain. I believe that the
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