HASS8 History: Medieval Europe - Crusades: Pilgrimage or Holy War?

eNotes forum for students discussing the topic of the Crusades.

Spark Notes History study guide summary notes on the Crusades.

"For thousands of years, the holy lands of the Middle East have been the focus of intense political conflict. These lands have been the sites wars of epic proportion between three of the great religions of the world–Christianity,Islam,andJudaism."

For almost 200 years during the Middle Ages, Christian Crusades wrested control of the Palestine region from the Selçuk Turks due to a series of military incursions made up of Christian armies largely from Western Europe. The control that the Christian Crusades exerted over the Holy Land was tenuous at best. What were the Crusades?