How many Crusades were there and what was the defining characteristic of each one?

Definition of a Crusade - Christian Military Expedition against Mussulman states or heretics.

Display of Crusades - XI - XIII centuries, Europe and Asia.

Crusades Causes:

• politics:  affirmation of Seljuk Turks and their conquering campaigns;

• religious:  Seljuk Turks obstructed the pilgrimages to holy lands;

The Number of Crusades:

Crusade I (1096-1099): Preaching at the Council of Clermont,in 1095, Pope Urban II proclaimed the First Crusade to regain the Holy Land.

At the first Crusade participate forces from Germany, Italy and France.The First Crusade conquered a narrow strip of land stretching from Antioch to Jerusalem. It was created the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem.

Crusade II (1147-1149): Edessa is conquered by Muslims. In the Second Crusade, participate the king of France, Ludovic the VIIth and the german Emperor, Conrad the IIIrd. The Second Crusade ends with a failure.

Crusade III (1189-1192): Saladin, the Kurdish sultan of Egypt and Syria, conquers Jerusalem. Pope Clement IIIrd is the organizer of the Third Crusade. In the Third Crusade, participate the king of France,Filip IInd, the King of England,Richard the Lion-Heart, the german Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa. The Accra town is conquered.

Crusade IV (1202-1204): Pope Innocent III is the organizer.