"The Real History of the Crusades " Topic

"The crusades are quite possibly the most misunderstood event in European history. Most of what passes for public knowledge about it is either misleading or just plain wrong

Misconceptions about the Crusades are all too common. The Crusades are generally portrayed as a series of holy wars against Islam led by power-mad popes and fought by religious fanatics. They are supposed to have been the epitome of self-righteousness and intolerance, a black stain on the history of the Catholic Church in particular and Western civilization in general. A breed of proto-imperialists, the Crusaders introduced Western aggression to the peaceful Middle East and then deformed the enlightened Muslim culture, leaving it in ruins. For variations on this theme, one need not look far. See, for example, Steven Runciman's famous three-volume epic, History of the Crusades, or the BBC/A&E documentary, The Crusades, hosted by Terry Jones. Both are terrible history yet wonderfully entertaining.

So what is the truth about the Crusades? Scholars are still working some of that out. But much can already be said with certainty. For starters, the Crusades to the East were in every way defensive wars. They were a direct response to Muslim aggression — an attempt to turn back or defend against Muslim conquests of Christian lands…"
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Amicalement
Armand

The Crusades were defensive? ha, ha, ha. When the title says "real history" I read "revisionist history".

Actually, all history is revisionist. Read the whole article, though. It is more nuanced than you imagine. The argument is that it was a new bout of Muslim expansion, in Anatolia, what caused a ripple effect on the relationships between Western and Eastern Christendom and activated the military pilgrimage that were the Crusades. It is more complicated than that, of course, but the case of the Crusades as understood by Medieval Christedom as a defensive war is rather compelling.

"We were here first! We were!"

Never mind all the pagans who lived here before they got here…

The Crusades has been a misunderstood period for a LONG time. Much like the "Dark Ages". "God's Battalions" is another very interesting read on the Crusades as related to the article.

Runciman – terrible history? You arrogant twerp.

Glad you enjoyed it my friend!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Good link, I find little to disagree with.
History will repeat itself.

Glad you like it too my friend.

Amicalement
Armand