Causes for the decline of feudalism.

1. The Third Crusade The Third Crusade to recapture Jerusalem was led by three of

1.1. Jerusalem remained under Muslim control.

2. The Crusading Spirit Dwindles

2.1. In 1204, the Fourth Crusade to capture Jerusalem failed. The reli-gious spirit of the First Crusade faded, and the search for personal gain grew. In two later Crusades, armies marched not to the Holy Land but to Egypt. The Children’s Crusade The Children’s Crusade took place in 1212.

2.2. A Spanish Crusade In Spain, Muslims controlled most of the country until the 1100s.

3. To unify their country under Christianity and to increase their power, Isabella and

3.1. Jerusalem had fallen to the Muslims, he was filled with religious zeal. He joined the Third Crusade, leaving others to rule England in his place. The Muslim army watched helplessly from the hills.

4. The Effects of the Crusades

4.1. The Crusades are a forceful example of the power of the Church during the medieval period.

5. For Muslims, the intolerance and prejudice displayed by Christians in the Holy

5.1. The Crusades grew out of religious fervor, feudalism, and chivalry, which came together with explosive energy.

6. Disorder in the Empire

6.1. Over the next 300 years, a number of such Crusades were launched. Goals of the Crusades The Crusades had economic, social, and political goals as well as religious motives. Others who participated in the Crusades were younger sons who, unlike eldest sons, did not stand to inherit their father’s property. In the later Crusades, merchants profited by making cash loans to finance the journey.

6.2. By 1152, the seven princes who elected the German king real-ized that Germany needed a strong ruler to keep the peace.

7. EMPEROR ALEXIUS COMNENUS, quoted in The Dream and the Tomb by Robert Payne

7.1. The Crusaders were ill-prepared for war in this First Crusade. The Second Crusade was organized to recapture the city.

8. Saladin

8.1. Saladin was the most famous Muslim leader of the 1100s.

9. European merchants

9.1. European merchants who lived and traded in the Crusades weakened the feudal nobility and increased the power of kings.