REUTERS
Reuters US Online Report World News
Mar 15, 2008 09:35 EST
I read the above article and I started wondering about the Crusades, because I had heard that at least one or more of them involved pushing the Ottoman Turks (Muslims) out of Europe. So I go looking around for some basic information& I find...
How the Crusades Began:
For centuries, Jerusalem had been governed by Muslims, but they tolerated Christian pilgrims because they helped the economy. Then, in the 1070s, Turks (who were also Muslim) conquered these holy lands and mistreated Christians before realizing how useful their good will (and money) could be. The Turks also threatened the Byzantine Empire. Emperor Alexius asked the pope for assistance, and Urban II, seeing a way to harness the violent energy of Christian knights, made a speech calling for them to take back Jerusalem. Thousands responded, resulting in the First Crusade.
And the more I look, the more I realize that I know VERY little about the Crusades. So if I ever finish reading Collapse by Jared Diamond, I'll pick something shorter to read next time.
Maybe something like
The New Concise History of the Crusades (Hardcover)
by Thomas F. Madden (Author)
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