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District Grand Priory of Central Southern Africa. DG Sec :- † Sven Smuts-Muller, Ven. Fr. Sven Smuts-Muller . D.G. Secretary . P.O. Box 3699 . Randburg. 2125 News Letters
THE CRUSADES Between the years A.D. 1096 and A.D. 1291, the latter year marking the fall of Acre, there were nine Crusades. Out of these were born the great Orders of knightly chivalry designated as the Knights Hospitaller, the Knights Templar, and the Teutonic Knights. The nine Crusades were as follows: THE FIRST CRUSADE, 1096 This consisted of two sections: (a) the civilian section started in March 1096 and consisting of pilgrims led by Walter the Penniless, and others recruited by the religious fervour of Peter the Hermit. The pilgrims made their way overland through Hungary and Bulgaria and thence to Constantinople and Asia Minor. (b) The military section led by Godfrey de Bouillon and his brothers Baldwin and Tancred. They followed the same route as the pilgrims and, as has already been described, succeeded in capturing Jerusalem. THE SECOND CRUSADE, 1146 This was preached by St. Bernard but, as there was dissension in Jerusalem, it was betrayed and ended in disaster at the Siege of Damascus. THE THIRD CRUSADE, 1190 The defeat of the Christian army at Tiberias in 1187 and the capture of Jerusalem by Saladin were the two reasons for initiating the Third Crusade which was led by Richard Coeur de Lion, Philip Augustus of France and Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. The arrival of the German troops before the town of Acre led to the institution of the Teutonic Knights. THE FOURTH CRUSADE, 1193 The Knights of St. John in an endeavour to remove the son of Barbarossa launched this Crusade which was a failure. THE FIFTH CRUSADE, 1201 Led by Simon de Montfort, Louis, Count of Blois, and Baldwin, Count of Flanders, this Crusade started from Venice and its object was diverted from the capture of Palestine to the capture of Constantinople. One of the disasters of this Crusade was the fate of 50,000 children, drawn from their homes in the belief that the Holy Land would only be regained by Crusaders of pure innocence. Their lives were sacrificed en route or in the slave markets when they were captured. THE SIXTH CRUSADE, 1216 A three-fold venture by John of Hungary, John, King of Jerusalem and Emperor Frederick of Germany. In 1225, the Emperor Frederick of Germany married the daughter of the King of Jerusalem who exhorted him to lead another Crusade. This he did and he marched unopposed to Jerusalem which was surrendered to him by the Sultan. THE SEVENTH CRUSADE, 1239 Led by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, a nephew of Richard Coeur de Lion, who was successful in getting the Moslems to give up a major part of Palestine. On his return he was taken to Aix-la-Chapelle where he was crowned Emperor of the West. THE EIGHTH CRUSADE, 1249 Inspired by King Louis IX of France, the whole Crusade was a disaster and the army was destroyed. The king was captured and was eventually ransomed for 400,000 livres. In 1259 there was a battle between the Knights Hospitaller and the Knights Templar which crippled both Orders. THE NINTH CRUSADE, 1270 The armies of Britain and France combined for a last attempt to wrest the Holy Land from the Muslims. Pestilence and plague decimated both contingents and amongst those who died was the King of France, on 25 August 1270. Prince Edward, the son of Henry III and heir to the throne, led the Crusade in 1271. The fall of Acre took place in 1291 when the Turks took the city with almost total destruction of the crusading armies. Webdesign and hosting by gonfalonhosting.com |