This is a homework assignment that I think I did good on

1. Were the Crusades a success? If so, for whom?

The Crusades were over all not a success. I think the crusades were not a success because 2 of them did not reach their goal. In the first crusade the goal of the Christians was to take back Jerusalem from Muslim rule. The first Crusaders achieved their goal. In the second Crusade the goal was to take back Edessa. It had been under Christian rule before it got taken over by the Muslims. The leader of that Crusade was Louie the VI. He decided to not take back Edessa but to head for Damascus. He failed to take Damascus. On the 3rd Crusade Richard the Lionheart was the leader. On the way to Jerusalem he decided to go back because he knew that if it was under Christian rule again the Muslims would just take it back.

2. Both the Muslims and the Christians claimed God’s favor. Whose side was God on?

I personally believe that God was on neither side because God would not want people fighting. Both sides were fighting in the name of God and both believed miracles happened for them. The Christians believed that Jerusalem was where Jesus died and rose from the dead so it is very important to them. The Muslims wanted Jerusalem because it was where Mohammed went to heaven. If both sides believe God was on their side then both would think that God would protect them. But this was not the case. Both sides did good and bad during the fighting but both lost a lot of people.

3. How and where do we see the effects of the Crusades today? Can you infer how they affected people’s views of other religions?

There are many things that the Crusades have affected. One positive effect of the crusades was people from the West were going to the East  and they had relationships with each other. People from the west took on the culture (food, politics, and traditions) of the East. There were a few negative effects too. There are still Crusades today. There are still conflicts between Israel and the rest of the Middle East. People are still fighting in the name of God. The words from the Crusades are still used when people want to use strong language. George Bush said, “This is a Crusade,” when he wanted to attack Iraq. Jihad used to mean struggle but now it’s related to terrorism. Many people today think that most Muslims are terrorists. A positive effect was that both sides learned more about the other’s religion.