Title: What was the significance of the Crusades? - eNotes.com
Headings: What was the significance of the Crusades?
Crusades
What was the significance of the Crusades?
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Content: The fact that the First Crusade was a success was a surprise to many, not the least of which were the Crusaders themselves; from the point-of-view of those in the West, it was the most successful of all the campaigns. Succeeding Crusades were called to help, for the most part, those already in the Hold Land. The Second Crusade was launched in 1144 by Pope Eugenius III and promoted by one of the most influential people of the twelfth century, Bernard of Clairvaux. Despite the backing of these well-known figures, by all accounts, the Second Crusade was a terrible failure. Like the Second Crusade, the Third Crusade was also defensive rather than offensive. Saladin, the Muslim warrior, had recaptured Jerusalem in 1186. Despite the backing of the English Kings Richard I and Henry II, no real gains occurred during this crusade; it came to an end in 1192 when King Richard signed the Treaty of Jaffa with Saladin. The Fourth Crusade came a decade later in 1202, and was called by Pope Innocent III for Christians to go to Egypt.