The First Crusade
History: KS3, topic 2.3.3
The First Crusade
In 1096 AD the First Crusade began. Christian knights went to the Holy Land to fight the Muslims.
The Crusaders
- Following the Pope’s call to arms in 1095 AD, thousands of knights began the journey to the Holy Land. The first crusade was in 1096 AD.
- Knights came from France, Germany and Italy.
- The knights met at Constantinople (in the Byzantine Empire) and seized Edessa and Antioch (in the Islamic Empire).
Attacking Jerusalem
- The Crusaders, led by Godfrey of Bouillon, besieged (surrounded) Jerusalem and eventually seized it in 1099 AD.
- Thousands of Muslims were killed.
- The Crusaders massacred the local Muslim population.
- The Crusaders took control of the Muslim holy sites: the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Dome of the Rock.
- Jews were also killed in the Crusades.
The Kingdom of Jerusalem
- The Crusaders formed the Kingdom of Jerusalem, which was Christian.
Test yourself on The First Crusade
When did the First Crusade begin?
Which three lands did the Crusaders seize from the Islamic Empire?
Who helped lead the Crusaders?