The Crusades were a defining factor in the development of Europe as a whole, and are widely attributed with the emergence of Europe from the dark ages. The Crusades were inspired by a variety of events that happened to coincide with one another, which inspired Christians to take up arms against the perceived enemies of god. For many years, European Christians journeyed to Jerusalem (The Holy Land) on pilgrimage, because it was connected to their belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, around the 11th century AD, Turkish forces, who were followers of Islam, began to restrict Christians from traveling to Jerusalem on pilgrimage. At the same time, the Byzantine Empire (formerly the Eastern Roman Empire) was losing large amounts of territory to invading muslim forces, which prompted emperor Alexius Comnenus to send word by courier to the Pope requesting military assistance. When the Pope received this request, he instructed his followers to retake the Holy Land from the muslims, and added that any man who fought on behalf of the Church would have his sins forgiven when he died. This instruction from the Pope led many knights to believe that it was their duty to wage war against the enemies of god. These events, coupled with proclamations from the Church, inspired many European Christians to travel on the first Crusade.
Like any large scale military expedition, the Crusades had a profound effect on the development of Europe, and its emergence from the dark ages. Because the Lords still possessed most of the military power at the beginning of the Crusades, a large portion of the soldiers, provisions, and funding came from them when the Pope instructed Christians to march to the holy land. It is also important to note that many of them were involved in at least 4 major crusades, which drained their resources, both militarily and monetarily, significantly. Because of this, the Lords lost a large amount of their power and influence, which prompted Europe’s feudalism to fade away. A major effect that was caused by the Crusades was the advancements in technology across Europe. As the Crusaders traveled across the middle east, they saw many new innovations, including triangular sails, improved cartography, and more efficient ships. Also, as the Crusades ended, trade routes were established with the east, and many European merchants began trading with people from the Middle East, something that didn’t happen during the dark ages because of the major risks involved. Overall, the Crusades helped to bring Europe out of the dark ages, because they bankrupted the beneficiaries of Feudalism (Feudal Lords) and brought new innovations and ideas back to Europe.
