Just Finished Reading: A Brief History of The Crusades – Islam and Christianity in the Struggle for World Supremacy by Geoffrey Hindley (FP: 2003) [260pp] 

The continuing occupation of the Holyland was a stain on Christendom and could not be allowed to stand. But how to end it, who would fight and how would they be paid? The questions almost answered themselves – it would end in fire and storm; it would be fought by holy warriors of European kings and it would be paid for by taxation and the promise of washed away sins. So, the First Crusade to liberate Palestine and most especially Jerusalem was proclaimed in 1095 by Pope Urban II and, to almost everyone’s surprise, captured Jerusalem on 15th July 1099 after a number of ‘miraculous’ victories over the forces of Islam. But the idea, the thrust, of Crusade was far from over. Enemies of God – the Christian God that is – were everywhere and had to be opposed everywhere, and what better way to do so than by crusade? 

Naturally things are never that easy. Not only was Christianity itself split between Roman Catholic and Orthodox but each kingdom and principality responsible for providing the force to man the crusades where all too often divided amongst themselves, not only on who should lead the expedition but everything else. Things inevitably came to a head in October of 1187 when Jerusalem fell (again) to Saladin and Pope Gregory VIII proclaimed the Third Crusade (the Second Crusade followed the fall of Christian city of Edessa in modern day Turkey). We tend to think of crusades and crusaders operating exclusively or at least mostly in what we now call the Middle East, but that’s far from actual reality. Crusading happened against Muslim forces in Spain during the Reconquista, against Cathar heretics in Southern France, so-called ‘heathens’ in what would become Prussia and on – essentially anywhere that the Catholic church saw itself under threat. Indeed, the Catholics declared crusade on each other when the church split for a time between Rome and Avignon. One of the things that impressed me about this book was that the author managed to form the wide and twisting history into an understandable narrative that even I could follow! 

Of course, the ultimate irony wasn’t lost on me that, during the lengthy Muslim occupation of Jerusalem and other holy sites, both Jews and Christians had, by and large, easy access to their particular areas of interest. Whilst the Roman Catholics controlled the zone access by other faiths, even other Christian faiths, was often problematic or denied. Generally Islamic authorities, both in the Holyland and in Muslim Spain, cared little for people's personal faith as long as they behaved themselves and didn’t try to convert every passing Muslim. The Catholics, in contrast, abhorred the ‘schismatic’ Orthodox Christians and, when it suited them, taxed, exploited, forcibly ‘converted’, expelled or simply slaughtered their Jewish populations. 

Not being religious myself in any way, shape or form this sort of thing does confound me. As far as I can tell, the Crusades were a massive waste of time, gold and lives for no real point (except ‘control’ over areas considered to be of religious significance) and no real result except death, destruction and misery which continues to this very day. The only two ‘good’ things that eventually came from crusading activity was the fatal undermining of the Catholic church (and a by-product of the sale of indulgences) and the spread of ideas due to looted texts and other items from Muslim cities. I think that both could’ve been achieved with considerably less bloodshed.  

This was an interesting read especially if you’ve ever wondered about the Crusades but didn’t really know where to start. Not only will it give you a good understanding about why they happened (and why they almost all failed – some rather spectacularly!) but will also give you some idea of why the present Middle East is the mess it is today. Recommended. More Brief (and Short) histories to come.