2nd Crusade

The Second Crusade was relatively pointless because their efforts were wasted on an unsuccessful voyage. Their motive how ever was good and with every Crusade the Europeans delayed the very aggressive Muslim movement. As a result of the higher archy system of the time leaders and the papacy had great influence on the Crusades. There were many different missions that were attached to the whole of the Second Crusade and despite the fact it was unsuccessful it did leave and impact. (Source) (Source) (Source, Google Books) (Source Google Books)

The launching of the Second Crusade was by urging the Cistercian Pope Eugenius by St Bernard of Clairvaux. Their main reason for launching the Crusade was because the Muslims had sacked Edessa in 1144 and their leader Nur al-Din was then forth advancing to Jerusalem. The first Royalty joined this Crusade which was why it was one of the most remembered Crusades. “It included the first Royal Crusaders - Holy Roman Emperor Conrad III, French King Louis VII and his then Queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine” (Source) 300 women and some children also accompanied the Crusaders on their mission and to many of these people this Second Crusade was more of a voyage and pilgrimage than a war. (Source) (Source, Google Books)(Source, Google Books)

“The Crusade was a shambles which ended in a humiliating retreat. Bernard unfairly copped the blame for this situation, the real villains being the royal incompetents, some unhelpful politicking and strategy decisions by Eleanor, and the fact that for the first time they were up against a competent Moslem military commander.” (Source) “Of the great host that set out from Europe, only a few thousands escaped annihilation in Asia Minor at the hands of the Turks. Louis and Conrad, with the remnants of their armies, made a joint attack on Damascus, but had to raise the siege after a few days. This closed the crusade.” (Source) Both of these quote show just how unsuccessful the European efforts were on this second crusade, it seemed that anything the fought for failed. It was a terrible fight for the Europeans. (Source, Google Books)

The other factor that effected the European loss is the factor of disease and famine when forming a siege. This can lead to the idea that the Europeans that came over did not have the preparedness they thought they did. The French and the Germans were the most upset by their numerous losses, in addition to their leader. (Source)

The intentions of the European empires were good and purposeful; however their plan did not fall through as they thought. The win of the 1^st Crusade did not come again in the 2^nd Crusade. Part of this might have been the unprepairdness, this cause famine and disease to kill many people. The Europeans did however at least slow the progression of the Muslims to and extent.

1st Crusade

The Crusades are not understood well. Many people go by the idea the world tells, that the European Christians attacked the defenseless Muslims. This however is extremely wrong. The very first crusade was directed to save the city of Jerusalem, which had been captured by the Muslims. It was called upon by the Emperor Alexus I of Constantinople on November 27, 1095 and supported by Pope Urban II. The Crusades are not often described as a win, lose situation; so depending on that for a resultant is not good. In order to define the result you have to look at the effects and military stance as a result. (source)(source) (source,Google Books) (source, Google Books)

“The massacre of 3000 Christian Pilgrims in Jerusalem prompted the first crusade” (source) This disproves the idea that people have saying that the Europeans have no right in going to fight against the Muslims. Through this quote it is seen that the Muslims took their expansions too far by killing cold bloodedly. The Muslims had taken over the city and were converting many Christians and Jews to their religion. Those that did not convert then lived in very hard conditions and were forced to pay numerous taxes to the Muslims. (source) (source,Google Books)

People in the first crusade were very important in the result of the first Crusade. “Emperor Alexus I of Constantinople in launching the first crusade. He made one of the most influential speeches in the Middle Ages, calling on Christian princes in Europe to go on a crusade to rescue the Holy Land from the Turks.” (source) Many important people were involved in the Crusades such as: “Count Raymond of Toulouse headed a band of volunteers from Provence in southern France. Godfrey of Bouillon and his brother Baldwin commanded a force of French and Germans from the Rhinelands. Normandy sent Robert, William the Conqueror's eldest son. The Normans from Italy and Sicily were led by Bohemond, a son of Robert Guiscard, and his nephew Tancred.” (source)Many normal people also involved themselves in the crusade because they were told fighting in this would grant them eternal glory in the eyes of God. (source)

“The first assault made by the Christians upon the walls of the city was repulsed; but the second was successful, and the city was in the hands of the crusaders by July 1099. Godfrey of Bouillon and Tancred were among the first to mount the ramparts. Once inside the city, the crusaders massacred their enemies without mercy. A terrible slaughter of the infidels took place. For seven days the carnage went on, at the end of which time scarcely any of the Moslem faith were left alive.“(source) The Christians succeeded eventually and while they had the right to kill the Muslims because they had first killed. However, despite the justification the Christians should probably not have acted the way they did once inside the city. This crusade has a lot of connection to the way we have acted in the war on Iraq. (source)

“The First Crusade was the most successful from a military point of view.” (source, Google Books) The Crusaders succeeded in taking back the city therefore making it successful. “In this Crusade united Feudalism and Papacy won their greatest triumph.” (source, Google Books) One of the reasons why this Crusade was one of the strongest is because Europe was more so united in fighting and were not as caught up in fighting each other. (source)

This Crusade was very successful, a factor of this was because of the importance of this presented by the leaders of the European society. The leaders became more upset with the Muslims and their military expansions; they felt that the Muslims were very forceful in their actions. The intentions were correct, however not all the actions were good once inside the city of Jerusalem. The Crusade was pretty effective in stalling the Muslim expansions. (source, Google Books)(source, Google Books)(source)(source)(source)

The Investiture controversy was a time when the Holy Roman Catholic Church and the Roman Empire had differences in the way of territory and authority. The involvement between both sides were intermixed, the Laymen of the Western Roman Empire were involved in the Investiture Ceremony for the Bishops and Archbishops and vice-versa. These distentions of Investiture lead to many problems such as the Investiture controversy.(source) (source Google Books) (source)

An Investiture is a formal appointment of a person in to a special rank or role. This is often put into a ceremony, to mark this inauguration. This insignia was very important during the Middle Ages it was the one thing that inducted a person into a position. However this appointment of positions were challenged by the Roman Empire, the secular leaders and Religious ones were not clarified on the job positions and more often then not their job descriptions would cross over into each others. This involvement of each of the Imperial powers started with Charlemagne and the Pope crowning him Emperor, up until the 11th and 12th centuries this was not a problem. However when in came out the effects of it were great, it was the most significant conflict between the church and state in Medieval History. It had great impact on the Western Roman Empire. This alone led to over 50 years of civil war in Germany, not to mention other struggles in France. (source) (source) (source) (source Google Books)

The Popes acted in an offensive manner, challenging the European monarchy and as a result setting in place Bishops and Abbots to be in control. This challenging on the Popes side was the fight to establish political legitimacy. The popes of the Holy Roman thought that the European Monarchy was wrong because no man should have that authority that belongs to God. (source) (source Google Books) (source)

This fighting led to a compromise known as the Concordat of worms it stated that the secular leaders would have a place in the appointing ceremony. It also concluded that the monarchy power was broken and the localized lords would take charge. The Papacy gained much control for these efforts and then set the stage for the Crusades in the 12th century, which some say is why the efforts of this controversy ended. Some think it is because they needed to come together again and fight against the Muslims. Both are legitimate endings to these efforts. (source Google Books) (source)

The results of this time are huge; the impact on Germany alone took till the 19th century to recover. This fight was very effective on the Holy Roman Catholic Church side and established more power for the Pope. With out this power the Crusades may not have had the out come it did and the Crusades might have been a failure which would render many different consequences then we have today. This Controversy also had a great effect on the formation of the Protestant church. Throughout history there are so many interlinked effects and causes that all have an effect on each situation. (source Google Books) (source) (source)