Question

Historians have learned a great deal about the Crusades from chroniclers like William of Tyre and Ibn al-Qalanisi. Today, reporters and newscasters travel all over the world to report on international events, including conflicts. Imagine what we might know had there been journalists with access to television, cell phones, and social media in the 13th century.

Time for you to take on the responsibility of being an international journalist! You are using social media to report the thick of the action of the Crusades! Your assignment is to keep the world updated on what is happening in ten sho

Answer 1

short posts. Remember that as a reporter your job is to remain neutral and report the facts. As you prepare each post, keep the following points in mind:

You should have a total of ten posts.
Check to make sure your reporting is accurate. Others are counting on the right information! State facts, not just opinions.
Include details about the events and the historical figures involved in each time period. Help your reader understand the sequence of events by including dates, if available.
Cite specific locations, and explain their importance. Use at least two maps from this lesson!
Your updates should be thorough, with enough information to be interesting. This means you should write at least three sentences (containing factual information) for each post.

Answer 2

I know that I learned about the crusades... Hold on, I might have something. :3

Answer 3

First Crusade

Afraid the Turks would attack Constantinople, the Byzantine emperor Alexius I asked the Roman church for help. He proposed that eastern and western Christians should join forces and drive out the Turks from Anatolia and Palestine. This endeavor would be called a Holy War, or Crusade. The pope, Urban II, agreed to this plan for two reasons. First, he thought a combined East-West war against the Turks could reunite the eastern and western churches. Second, he wanted to free Palestine and Jerusalem from Muslim rule.

Alexius expected western Europeans to send just a few hundred soldiers to help out his army. Instead, they put together a huge force that consisted of about 30,000 soldiers. These soldiers came from France, Germany, and Italy.

At first, the Crusade was successful. The European armies reconquered parts of Anatolia and then captured Jerusalem in 1099 CE. Also, the crusaders returned the land they conquered in Anatolia to the Byzantine Empire. Then the crusaders set up four kingdoms in East Asia. The Muslims, however, soon regrouped and conquered these domains.

After this, many western Europeans who took part in the Crusade remained in the Byzantine Empire. These Europeans were called Latins. They did business in Constantinople and some of them held government positions. Relations between the Byzantines and Latins, though, were often strained. The Byzantines viewed the Latins as savage barbarians. In addition, the Byzantines thought that the religious beliefs of the Latins were heretical, and the Latins felt similarly about the beliefs of the Byzantines.

Added tension came from the Byzantine relationship with the Venetians. Because of a trade agreement, Venetians did not have to pay custom duties on imports and exports. In addition, Venice took control of several Byzantine trade routes. As a result, the trade profit of Byzantine merchants decreased significantly.

All of these factors fueled a growing Byzantine resentment of the Latins and Venetians. In fact, this hatred boiled over in a riot of Byzantines in Constantinople, during which thousands of Latins were killed.

Answer 4

The Second and Third Crusades had little effect on the Byzantine Empire. The Fourth Crusade, however, had a major impact on this domain. This crusade, consisting mostly of Latin soldiers, began in 1198 CE. When the crusaders arrived in Venice, Alexius Angelus, the nephew of the Byzantine emperor, offered them a deal. Alexius offered to pay for the necessary warships for the crusaders if they would defeat the current Byzantine emperor and make Alexius the ruler. The crusaders and Venetians agreed.

In 1203 CE, the crusaders and Venetians attacked Constantinople, causing the emperor to flee the city. Alexius then declared himself emperor and the crusaders, encamped around the city, waited for their pay. The Byzantines, however, discovered Alexius’s deal with the crusaders and killed him. Left with no pay, the crusaders captured and plundered Constantinople, destroying part of the city. After this, the crusaders established a Latin Empire, which controlled only Constantinople. The Byzantines set up a government in exile.

The Latin emperors had little money and were surrounded by hostile states. In 1259 CE, the exiled Byzantine emperor, Michael VIII, defeated the Latin army. Then in 1261 CE, he led a small army into Constantinople, which was undefended. The Latin forces were away fighting near the Black Sea. When the Latins realized that Michael had taken control of Constantinople, they fled the area. This ended the period of Latin rule and restored the Byzantine Empire.

Michael attempted to build up the empire and reconquered a few lost territories. The effect of the Latins on the Byzantine Empire, however, was devastating; it never fully recovered. Indeed, the plundering of Constantinople was so extensive that the resulting damage was only partially repaired even 50 years later.

Answer 5

Oh my gosh. Thank you. you helped a bunch