By the end of the eleventh century the Seljuk Turks, who were Muslims, were in control of the area around Jerusalem. The Turks living in Jerusalem made it difficult for Christians to make pilgrimages there.
At this time the Byzantines were having trouble fighting the Turks. They asked Pope Urban II for help. In 1095 the Pope held a meeting called the Council of Clermont. He said that the Christians should free Jerusalem. He further said that killing Muslims was much better than killing each other at home. He stated that if a person died fighting Muslims his sins would be forgiven.
After Pope Urban II spoke thousands of men went to fight this Holy War. This first group is called the People's Crusade. These people were mostly peasants and townsmen. The men were led by Peter the Hermit. The army crossed the Rhine and moved toward Constantinople. They stole everything they could along the way. The emperor sent them on to Asia. There they were killed by the Turks.
The main army of the First Crusade was much better organized. The leaders were dukes and counts mostly from France. Four groups met at Constantinople. Again the emperor sent them across the Bosporus Strait into Asia. They won a few battles on the way to Jerusalem. When they reached the city in 1099 they massacred the Muslims and Jews including the women and children.
States were established at Edessa, Antioch, Tripoli, and Jerusalem. These states lasted for many years. Several other crusades took place over the next two hundred years. One of the most surprising was the Fourth Crusade. During this crusade the Venetians talked the crusade leaders into attacking Constantinople. They sacked the city and carried off all valuable pieces of art. The crusaders and Venetians controlled Constantinople for 57 years.
In 1187 Sultan Saladin attacked Jerusalem. He took the city and drove the Crusaders out. The crusades finally ended in 1291 when the crusaders lost Acre, their last major city.
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