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The crusades

| documents | maps | artwork | figures | louis ix | louis vii | saladin | byzantine empire | jerusalem | military orders | children's crusade | first crusade | second | third | fourth | general |

Original documents
Evolution of Crusader privileges, 1095-1270
Provides a collection of texts showing the evolution of the religious legal status of the Crusader between 1095 and 1270 CE (Medieval Sourcebook)
Introduction to the Medieval World Provides a collection of maps and historical documents relating to the Crusades and European expansionism (Medieval Sourcebook)
Church and the Crusades
Chronological history of the religious conflict features a collection of illustrations and maps. Includes profiles of some of the key players (Medieval Crusades)
Letter from the East to Master of Hospitallers
Read a letter, sent in 1187 to the west, describing the deteriorating situation in the holy lands. Includes accounts of recent battles (Hanover Historical Texts Project)
Read a letter from the Sixth Crusade
authored by Guy, a Knight in 1249 AD. Provides details concerning the capture of Damietta (Medieval Sourcebook)
Read a thirteenth century Arabian manuscript
which recounts the seventh crusade led by King Louis IX of France (Medieval Sourcebook)

Maps
Christian States in Syria - Map - 1100 AD
Colour map details the Kingdom of Jerusalem as fixed by treaty of 1229 AD and also contains parts of Damascus, Antioch, and Cyprus (Medieval Sourcebook)
Crusader States in the Early twelfth century
Crusader map from the twelfth century features the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Armenia and Cairo (Medieval Sourcebook)
Era of the Crusades
Offers a general map of Europe and the Holy Land at the time of the medieval crusades (The University of Texas at Austin)
Europe during the twelfth century
Ancient map of Europe during the era of the crusades features a separate section detailing the Christian states in the East in 1142 AD (The University of Texas at Austin)
Fourth and later Crusades
Map from the time of the Fourth Crusades shows Christian, Greek, Latin and Moslem states, Venetian dominions and the last of the Roman Empire (Medieval Sourcebook)
Map and Chronology of the First Crusade
Provides a map showing the route of the First Crusade to Jerusalem. Includes a chronology of events of the initial crusade (Peter Scumaci)
Second and Third Crusades
Map of the Eastern Empire at the time of the Second and Third crusades shows Christian, Greek,Latin and Moslem states (Medieval Sourcebook)
Sultan's Map - 1171-1193 AD
Map shows the empire of the Sultan Salah al-Din in 1171, territory under his control and Crusader's principalities in Syria and Palestine (University of Pennsylvania)

Original artwork
The Crusades in Art
Offers twelve illustrated manuscripts from fourteenth century France depicting images of the Crusades, including the siege of Tunis and Constantinople (Bibliothèque Nationale de France)
Louis VII
Excerpt from a fourteenth century manuscript includes a color illustration depicting the French monarch's clairvoyant dream (Bibliothèque Nationale de France)

Important figures of the Crusades
Story of Jacques DeMolay
Read the story of the Grand Master of the Knights Templar and his persecution by Papal decree due to alleged heresies (Scottish Knights Templar)
Roger of Hoveden: fall of Jerusalem, 1187 AD
Read Hoveden's political narrative of 1187 AD explaining the loss of Jerusalem to Saladin, thus stirring up the Pope to start the Third Crusade (Medieval Sourcebook)
Anna Comnena: the bad manners of a crusading prince
Medieval Sourcebook provides a text written by the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Alexis which describes the first crusader's lack of manners (Medieval Sourcebook)
Pope Innocent III: summons to a crusade, 1215
Text of Pope Innocent's call for a new crusade to the Holy Land (Medieval Sourcebook)
Frederick II
and he role that he played in the sixth crusade to retake the Holy Land for Christendom (American Community School Jordan)
St Louis and the Seventh Crusade
Interview with Medieval scholar Jacques Le Goff sheds light on the mythical King of France, his canonisation, and his role in the seventh crusade

Louis IX and his role in the Crusades
Louis IX
Offers a collection of illustrations from "Grandes Chroniques de France" depicting the life and religious education of the saintly monarch (Bibliotèque Nationale de France)
Louis IX
Resource profiles the thirteenth century Capetian ruler, and examines the attributes and deeds that led to his sainthood (Catholic Encyclopedia)
Louis IX
French king was sainted for his ability to settle disputes without fighting, his part in the Crusades, and the prosperity he brought to France (Infoplease Encylopaedia)
Louis IX
Briefly chronicles the reign of the king of France who had a penchant for crusades to the Holy Land during the early thirteenth century (MSN Encarta)
Louis IX
Biography focuses on the saintly aspects of the thirteenth century French monarch, including his service in two crusades and his good works (Rowan University)

Louis VII the Young and his role in the Second Crusade
Louis VII
Details the reign of the twelfth century king of France who helped lead the Second Crusade to the Holy Land (MSN Encarta)
Louis VII the Young
Encyclopaedia article details how this king planted the seeds of the later conflict between France and England by annulling his marriage (Infoplease)

Saladin and the conquering of Jerusalem
Saladin 1138-1193 AD
Provides an overview of the reign of the Sultan of Egypt, Salah al- DinYusuf bin Ayub, and chronicles the re-conquest of Jerusalem (Stephen Dafoe and Templar Books)
Saladin: capture of Jerusalem
Medieval Sourcebook provides an account of the capture of the Holy City of Jerusalem by Sultan Saladin and his forces in 1187 AD (Medieval Sourcebook)
Saladin
Describes the reign of the Sultan of Egypt whose armies took Jerusalem from the Crusaders who held the city for 88 years (Compton's Encyclopaedia)

The Byzantine Empire
Greece and the Crusades
Offers a history of the European Crusades from a Greek perspective. Provides details on the fall of the Byzantine Empire (The Tourist Guide of Greece)
Byzantium in the eleventh century
Complete with audio files (Boise State University)

Jerusalem and the Crusades
Jerusalem and the Crusades
Offers a historical overview of the siege of Jerusalem by European Christian Crusaders and the later occupation by the Muslims (The Jerusalem Mosaic)
The fall of Jerusalem
Two accounts (Princeton, 1921)
Jerusalem during the Crusades Map of Jerusalem from the time of the crusades shows the various hospitals, temples, towers and fortifications of the Holy Land (Medieval Sourcebook)

Military Orders
a) Hospitallers
Knights Hospitaller of St John in the crusader period
Offers several essays and images related to the history of the Knights Hospitaller order. Find profiles of the order's founder Gerard (Norman Hugh Redington)
Order of Hospitallers: Age of Crusades
Details the history of the Knights of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, an order devoted to caring for the health and shelter of pilgrims (The Tourist Guide of Greece)
History of the Order of Malta
Provides a history of the oldest order of chivalry whose origins began with the Order of St John of Jerusalem, the Hospitallers (Order of Malta)
Hospitallers: Knights of Malta
Chronicles the medieval origins of the military order known as the Hospitallers of Jerusalem, Knights of Rhodes, and Knights of Malta (Catholic Encyclopaedia)
Hospitallers of St John in the Netherlands
Details the structure of the Knights Hospitallers in Jerusalem and their later migration to the Netherlands (Johanna Maria van Winter)

b) Knights Templar
Chronicles
the foundation, suppression,and dissolution of the famed medieval order. Provides several photographs of Templar fortifications
Knights Templar
Profiles the order of warrior monks who lead a successful campaign to recapture the holy city of Jerusalem in the twelfth century (Britannia History)
European Templar Heritage Research Network
ETHRN promotes scholarly research of the Knights Templar heritage by sponsoring exhibitions, seminars, newsletters and websites (ETHRN)
Knights Templar
Traces the development of the order from its inception during the Crusades to its hasty demise in the early fourteenth century (Catholic Encyclopaedia)
Knights Templar
Article by Alan Clayton profiles the military religious order from its beginnings during the crusades to its break-up in the early fourteenth century (Alan Clayton)
Knights Templar: Overview
Furnishes details about the birth of the military order of warrior monks, their relationship with the church of Rome and daily life as a knight (The Knights Templar)

The Children's Crusade
The Children's Crusade
Chronicles the ill-fated Crusade of French and German children to recover the Holy Sepulcher from the Muslims in 1212 CE (Military History)
Children's Crusade
Encyclopaedia offers a brief discussion of the unsanctioned crusade. Also find links to related discussions and Web resources (MSN Encarta)

The First Crusade
The First Crusade: 1095-1100
Article examines the causes and consequences of the first Crusade 1095 to 1100 CE leading to the establishment of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem (The University of Kansas)
The Crusades: five centuries of holy wars
Offers an in-depth overview of the First Crusade from a military and strategic perspective. Provides several illustrations and book excerpts (A History And Mythos Of The Knights Templar)

The Second Crusade
Second Crusade
Recounts the arrival of crusading armies in Jerusalem in 1148 AD. Studies the reasons for the failure of the second crusade (Boise State University)
Results of the Second Crusade
Recounts the reasons for the failure of the Second Crusade and the widespread reaction against crusading as a large-scale movement (Boise State University)

Third Crusade
Third Crusade
Chronicles the events, key players, battles, results and consequences of the third crusade of European Christians to the Holy Land (Boise State University)

Fourth Crusade
Fourth Crusade: sack of Constantinople
Details another failed attempt to recover Jerusalem and describes the end of the Fourth Crusade with the attack on Constantinople (Boise State University)

General information sites
Crusades
A guide to online resources (ORB)
Society for the study of the Crusades and the Latin East
(Society for the study of the Crusades and the Latin East)
Ransoming captives in crusader Spain
by James William Brodman. Entire book is available on-line (Library of Iberian Resources)
The Crusades
Offers a detailed account of the origins and outcome of the eight European crusades against Islamic strongholds in Europe and Persia (The Catholic Encyclopaedia)
Chronology of the Crusades
Provides a year-by-year account of the many Crusades launched by the Christians against the Muslims from the eleventh to the fourteenth centuries (M. Markow)
Crusade of the Poor People, 1095 CE
by J. Arthur McFall. Precursor to the actual first crusade, this ill-conceived crusade of poor people was led by Peter the Hermit at the bequest of Pope Urban II (Military History)
The Crusades: select general bibliography
Secondary sources by Paul Crawford Offers a comprehensive bibliography relating to the Crusades designed to serve as an introduction for students of medieval history (ORB)
The Crusades
A guided tour through the personalities, the key battles and the politics of the Crusades
The Crusades
Presents links to an array of articles covering key battles and political events. Includes links to other crusades resources (Hanover College Study Guide)

| documents | maps | artwork | figures | louis ix | louis vii | saladin | byzantine empire | jerusalem | military orders | children's crusade | first crusade | second | third | fourth | general |

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