Crusades Central

The History of the Medieval Holy Wars · 1095–1291

Every major campaign, the military orders that fought them, the battles that decided them, and the people — from Pope Urban II to Saladin — who shaped two centuries of holy war.

The Crusades & Military Orders

In-depth guides to each major Crusade, the great military religious orders, and the states they built and lost.

The Crusades: A Complete History of the Medieval Holy Wars

A comprehensive overview of the Crusades from 1095 to 1291, covering every major campaign, the military orders, and the lasting impact on East and West.
The First Crusade: 1096–1099

A comprehensive history of the First Crusade, from Pope Urban II's call at Clermont to the capture of Jerusalem and the founding of the Crusader States.
The Second Crusade: 1147–1149

The Second Crusade, called in response to the fall of Edessa, ended in humiliating failure at the siege of Damascus.
The Third Crusade: 1189–1192

The Third Crusade was the response to Saladin's conquest of Jerusalem, featuring the duel between Richard the Lionheart and Saladin.
The Fourth Crusade: 1202–1204

The most controversial of the Crusades, in which the Crusader army, diverted by Venice, sacked Constantinople and established the Latin Empire.
The Children's Crusade of 1212

A mysterious 1212 movement in which young people set out for the Holy Land — one of the most enigmatic events of the medieval period.
The Knights Templar: The Most Famous of the Military Religious Orders

A comprehensive history of the Knights Templar, from their founding in 1119 to their dramatic suppression in 1312.
The Knights Hospitaller: The Order of Saint John

A history of the Knights Hospitaller, from their founding in 1099 to their survival as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
The Teutonic Knights: The Order of the Teutonic House of Saint Mary

A history of the Teutonic Knights, from their founding in 1190 to their major wars in the Baltic, including the Battle of Grunwald.
Saladin: The Founder of the Ayyubid Dynasty

A comprehensive biography of Saladin, the Kurdish founder of the Ayyubid dynasty who defeated the Crusaders at Hattin and recaptured Jerusalem.
The Kingdom of Jerusalem: The Crusader State in the Holy Land

A comprehensive history of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, from its founding in 1099 to its final collapse in 1291.
The Latin Empire of Constantinople (1204–1261)

A history of the Latin Empire of Constantinople, the Crusader state established after the Sack of Constantinople in 1204.

Battles, People & Events

Closer looks at the sieges, battles, leaders, and turning points of the Crusading era.

Timeline of the Crusades: From 1095 to 1291

A chronological timeline of every major Crusade from Pope Urban II's call to arms in 1095 to the fall of Acre in 1291.
Causes of the Crusades: Why the Holy Wars Began

An examination of the religious, political, economic, and social factors that led to the outbreak of the First Crusade in 1095.
Major Figures of the Crusades: Kings, Generals, and Saints

Profiles of the most important leaders of the Crusades, from Pope Urban II to Saladin, Richard the Lionheart, and Louis IX of France.
The People's Crusade of 1096

The story of the popular expedition led by Peter the Hermit and Walter Sans-Avoir that set out before the main First Crusade and was destroyed in Anatolia.
The Battle of Antioch (1098)

The pivotal siege and battle of the First Crusade, where the Crusaders captured the great city of Antioch and defeated a Seljuk relief army.
The Siege of Jerusalem (1099): The Climax of the First Crusade

The decisive siege that ended the First Crusade with the storming and capture of the Holy City on 15 July 1099.
Bernard of Clairvaux and the Second Crusade

The role of the Cistercian abbot Bernard of Clairvaux in preaching the Second Crusade and his reaction to its failure.
The Siege of Damascus (1148): The Central Disaster of the Second Crusade

The four-day siege of Damascus in July 1148, which ended the Second Crusade in humiliating defeat.
Richard the Lionheart: The Central Figure of the Third Crusade

King Richard I of England, the most famous of the Crusader kings, his career, his Crusade, and his legacy.
The Battle of Hattin (1187): Saladin's Greatest Victory

The decisive battle of 4 July 1187, in which Saladin destroyed the Crusader army and opened the way to the reconquest of Jerusalem.
Frederick Barbarossa's Crusade: The German Army in the Third Crusade

The role of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in the Third Crusade, including his march through Anatolia and his death in the Saleph River.
The Sack of Constantinople (1204)

The capture and three-day pillage of the greatest Christian city of the medieval world by the army of the Fourth Crusade.
Enrico Dandolo: The Doge Who Diverted the Fourth Crusade

The Doge of Venice who, despite his age and blindness, became the principal architect of the Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople.
Nicholas of Cologne: The Boy Who Led the German Children's Crusade

The young German preacher who led one of the most tragic movements of the medieval period, the German Children's Crusade of 1212.
The Trial of the Knights Templar (1307–1312)

The dramatic trial and suppression of the Knights Templar, one of the most famous legal and political events of the Middle Ages.
Templar Banking and Finance: The First International Bankers

How the Knights Templar developed the first international banking system and became the bankers of the medieval world.
Templar Rule and Organization: The Structure of a Military Religious Order

The rule, hierarchy, and organization of the Knights Templar, the most disciplined of the military religious orders.
The Hospitallers on Malta: A New Center of Christian Power

The rule of the Knights Hospitaller over Malta from 1530 to 1798, including the Great Siege of 1565 and the legacy of the Order.
The Siege of Rhodes (1522): The End of the Hospitaller Kingdom

The six-month siege that ended the Hospitallers' rule of Rhodes and forced the Order to seek a new home.
The Northern Crusades: The Crusades in the Baltic

The series of campaigns by the Teutonic Knights and others against the pagan peoples of the Baltic region, from the 12th to the 15th centuries.
The Battle of Grunwald (1410): The Decisive Defeat of the Teutonic Knights

The pivotal battle of 15 July 1410, where the Polish-Lithuanian alliance crushed the Teutonic Knights and ended their expansion.
Saladin's Conquest of Jerusalem (1187)

The recapture of Jerusalem from the Crusaders by Saladin, the events leading up to the siege, and Saladin's famous treatment of the Christian population.
Saladin and the Muslim World: The Rise of a Kurdish Dynasty

The career of Saladin in the broader context of the Muslim world, including his unification of Egypt and Syria and the foundation of the Ayyubid dynasty.
The Crusader States: The Latin East

The Latin Christian states founded after the First Crusade: the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the County of Tripoli, Antioch, and Edessa.
The Assizes of Jerusalem: The Legal Code of the Crusader States

The unique legal code of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, one of the most important legal codes of the medieval period.
Baldwin I of Constantinople: The First Latin Emperor

The Count of Flanders who became the first Latin Emperor of Constantinople and died in Bulgarian captivity.

Questions & Answers

Direct answers to the questions people ask most about the Crusades.