The Crusades: The Expansion Of Western Civilization

The Crusades was one of the most significant “large scale military campaigns to win back the Holy Land from the Muslims” (Backman 313). This happened during a time of religious persecution and a rise of the Christian faith and “proceeded the centuries old struggle for control of the eastern Mediterranean shore” (Backman 313). The Crusades have been seen as a holy war, deemed justifiable through means of religious property; yet others see the Crusades as merely a way to expand the Christian empire, through a facade of “religious attempt to regain the holy land” as a justification. These wars were the only wars to the date that were “formally sanctioned and blessed by the Church” (Backman 313). However, the Crusades forever changed societies …show more content…
These events contribute to our knowledge of Christianity, its origins, Holy places, and its belief system. This was a time of the rising acceptance of Christianity, to the point where it became the official religion. The purpose of the Crusades were to gain back the Holy Land, that was wrongly taken by the Muslim people; and so in that aspect we get a sense of the important places of Christianity. Another important aspect that contributes to our understanding of Western civilization, is the relationship between Islam and Christianity. This is where we can begin to really see the rising conflict between the two religions, and we can also see how that has shaped the relationship of the two today. This is a topic that is very relevant in today’s culture, and the depiction is always put on a “religious war” facade. However, just like in the Crusades, it is important to asses whether or not the conflict is in the religion, but rather as a hidden agenda. Another aspect to look at is the way the two parties are talking and describing the other. In Housely’s article, the idea of a dehumanization of Islamic people worked in the favor of fueling the purpose and patriotism of the Crusades (Housely, 202). Through this use of propaganda against the Islamic people, the Crusades gained more supporters; many people take their …show more content…
One of the groups that were targeted were the Islamic people, who were mercilessly killed and targeted. I think that to be able to access the historical narrative on the Crusades by the minority ( Islamic and “Oriental East” people), would be incredibly valuable in our understanding of the Crusades. The study of different viewpoints on the Crusades, would offer a more holistic understanding of what exactly took place, while also allowing for those studying it to critically think about what took place and why. It would be beneficial to incorporate more sources and information into our understanding of the Crusades, and in doing so, would allow, not only for better understanding, the ability to critically think about a historical event, and apply it to our lives