Questions pertaining to a series of military campaigns sanctioned by the Pope in an effort to restore Christian control of the Holy Lands. These campaigns were spread out over a period dating from around 1095 through 1290.
25
votes
6answers
489 views
At what point was the Byzantine Empire's decline irreversible?
I've heard various arguments that the Byzantines were dealt the mortal wound at Manzikert in 1071 which allowed the Turks to claim most of Anatolia and set the stage for the later sacking of ...
17
votes
3answers
980 views
Why did Saladin show kindness to Richard I?
Why did Saladin, when Richard the Lionhearted was sick with a fever, send him a gift of fruit? Or when Richard's horse was killed in battle, he sent a steed to be led to his camp?
16
votes
2answers
455 views
How did Medieval Armies survive the use of mail armor in the deserts of the Middle East?
Something that has long puzzled me is the use of full mail hauberks and the like in the Crusades. How did Crusaders and their various enemies avoid cooking inside their armor? I know many of them did ...
15
votes
1answer
329 views
When did the Knights Templar dissolve and why?
The Knights Templar were a medieval chivalric organization within the Roman Catholic Church.
When did they dissolve, and what ultimately led to the dissolution of the Templars?
13
votes
2answers
318 views
What was the status of Arab Christians during the crusades?
Did Arab Christians take an active role in the crusades in the Holy Land or at any point on their trip to the Holy Land. Or were they victims of the crusaders? Did the crusaders typically ...
12
votes
2answers
215 views
Is the “youth bulge” hypothesis an evident explanation for imperialistic/rebellious historic movements and genocides?
The "youth bulge" hypothesis says that whenever the proportion of young men in the population was very high, their unhappiness with their future prospects - i.e., their inability to get jobs and ...
10
votes
2answers
165 views
Who gave King Richard I the title Coeur de Lion?
When King Richard I went to the Holy land during the Third Crusade, he was given the title coeur de lion (French for lion heart). Who gave him that title? I Imagine that it was a French person.
9
votes
1answer
128 views
Was Saladin Agnostic?
In the movie "Kingdom of Heaven", Saladin was portrayed as somewhat agnostic. He has been portrayed this way in literature as well, if I recall correctly.
Is there a basis to this?
8
votes
1answer
215 views
Captured nobles in medieval times, were they always ransomed?
Was watching the directors cut of Kingdom of Heaven, and one of the scenes had an actor playing what seemed to be a nobelman stating that he is according the privilege of ransom. While I remember that ...
8
votes
1answer
179 views
Was Frederick II of Hohenstaufen really a medieval Dr. Mengele?
According to legend, the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, who was intelligent (spoke six languages) and influential, also purportedly used cold-blooded methods to further his "scientific" inquiries. ...
6
votes
3answers
126 views
Crusades motivation
I was just debating with a catholic acquaintance. He ascribed merit to the catholic crusades and said that many historians agreed with him. Are there any non-catholic historians who believe that the ...
3
votes
1answer
58 views
Did loot from the 4th Crusade turn up in interesting places?
The horses of St. Mark were taken to Venice. Are there any other objects that are known to have turned up elsewhere?
2
votes
0answers
54 views
+50
In England, how many Jews died during the persecutions of the crusades during 1190-1200?
As is well known Steven Runciman, a British historian known for his work on the Middle Ages, definitively clarified what the Holy War had been: "The Holy War itself was nothing more than a long act of ...
2
votes
0answers
61 views
Why did the Fourth Crusade sack Constantinople? [closed]
If the Crusade was going to help the Byzantines to drive away their enemies, as well as attack the Holy land, why did it turn on the Byzantine Empire?
