The Origin of the Crusades

  • 1095

    1095

    Pope Urban II calls for the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont, urging Christians to reclaim Jerusalem and aid the Byzantine Empire against Muslim forces.
  • 1096

    1096-1099

    The First Crusade takes place, resulting in the capture of Jerusalem by the Crusaders in 1099.
  • 1147

    1147-1149

    The Second Crusade is launched in response to the fall of the County of Edessa, but it ends in failure.
  • 1189

    1189-1192

    The Third Crusade, led by figures like Richard the Lionheart, aims to retake Jerusalem but results in a truce with Saladin.
  • 1202

    1202-1204

    The Fourth Crusade deviates from its original goal and ends with the sack of Constantinople