HIST 0315 - The Crusades

Credits: 3

An analysis of the origins, evolution, and effects of holy war and the crusading movement in the Middle Ages. Studies will emphasize the crusades launched against the Islamic world during the "classical period" of the movement (1070-1291), but crusading campaigns against pagans in Eastern Europe and Christian heretics in Western Europe will be considered as well. Special attention is given to the ideology of holy war, crusader finance, recruitment, strategy, and military organization. The course concludes with an examination of the legacy crusading has left for the modern world and the role the movement played in the history of Christian-Islamic relations.

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