Crusades (The) | Ryan Ranch (Closed)

Course Description:

We all know a little about the Crusades, whether from school, movies, literature, or television. They have become part of the shared memory of Western Civilization. But what do we really know and how accurate is our knowledge? We have been taught from the viewpoint of Christian Europeans, but what about the point of view of Muslims in the Holy Land who were attacked? And as we begin to view the Crusades more analytically, other questions arise. Why did the Crusades begin? What was it like for those who fought them and for those who lived where they were fought? Were they really as chivalrous as our romantic images make them seem? Who won the Crusades, and what changes did they bring about in Europe and in the Middle East? We will address these questions and more as we gain some important understandings about a pivotal period in Western history that is often misunderstood.