Crusades

(' The,) (kroo-sadz'.) [Fr. croisade, from L. crux, a cro .) (Hist.) The name by which the wars or military expeditions were distinguished that were carried on by the Christian nations of Western Europe, from the end of the 11th to the end of the 13th cent., for the conquest of Palestine. They were called C. Lecause all the warriors fought under the banner of the Cro , and wore that emblem on their shoulder,- the French, a white cro on a red ground; the English, a red cro on a white ground. The Pope considered the invasion of Asia as the means of propagating Christianity among the Infidels, and of winning whole nations to the bosom of the Church; monarchs expected victory and increase of dominion; and their subjects were easily persuaded to engage in the glorious cause! Yet army after army was destroyed; and though some brilliant victories served to exhibit the soldiers of Christen dom as heroes of a valorous age, and the holy city of Jerusalem was more than once under their dominion, the Christian empire on the Asiatic continent was eventually overthrown, and the dominion of the Mamelukes and Sultans established. But by means of these joint enterprises, the European nations became more connected with each other; feudal tyranny was weakened; a commercial intercourse was inaugurated throughout Europe, which greatly augmented the wealth of the cities; the human mind expanded; and a number of arts and sciences, till then unknown by the western nations, were introduced. These advantages were accompanied undoubtedly by great evils. There have been six C. The 1st, in 1096, was excited by Peter the Hermit, and encouraged by Pope Urban II. It was commanded by Geoffrey of Bouillon, and Jerusalem was taken. In the 2d, 1142, Conrad III. of Germany, and Louis VII. wero leaders, but were unsucce ful. The 3d, in 1189, was occasioned by the Saracens taking the " Holy City." Frederick II. of Germany, Philip August us of France, and Richard " Cœur de Lion " of England, were leaders; the only succe ful exploit was the taking ofAcre. The 4th was conducted by Andrew, king of Hungary, in 1217. The 5th, by Frederick II. of Germany, who for a short time recovered po e ion of Jerusalem, in 1228. The 6th, in 1249, was led by St. Louis, king of France, against Egypt, but was unsucce ful. The 7th and last was also promoted by St. Louis, who died on his way to Palestine, 1270. It was afterwards led by Prince Edward of England (Edward I), the last of the Crusaders, who himself returned soon to England. In 1291, Acre and other cities having capitulated, the Christian knights left them definitively in the undisturbed po e ion of the Saracens.-The wars carried on against the Albigenses and others who di ented from the Roman Catholic Church, have sometimes been called C. [s. 248]