From 1095 to 1212 AD, the Crusades were an effort by medieval Christians to regain their holy lands from the Muslims. There were five crusades in total, from the First Crusade to the Children's Crusade. Some were effective in their own right, although these crusades proved costly to European kingdoms due to the great loss of life. This article will explore these crusades and explain why some succeeded while others failed. The year was 1095; Pope Urban II was involved in a war with Germany and had multiple conflicts in France and among his countrymen. In the midst of all this chaos, the Pope still wanted to reconquer Jerusalem from the Muslims who occupied the city. He then decided to undertake a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to reconquer it. This pilgrimage was called The First Crusade. The Pope led a demonstration in Claremont, a city in France in 1095, to gain support from the Christian community. In his speech he said: “Weapon for the salvation of Jerusalem under your captain Christ. He wears his cross as a badge. If you are killed, your sins will be forgiven." He made men feel obligated to fight for this cause as if Christ himself had been defiled. These pilgrims were also granted benefits such as exemption from taxes and their protection by the church The journey to the Holy Land proved to be difficult, because the Crusaders could not use the Mediterranean Sea because it was controlled by the Muslims. To reach their destination they had to cross the country in scorching heat and even in deep snow and had to. resorted to drinking their own blood and urine to survive. They suffered heat exhaustion and dysentery caused by drinking the di......middle of paper......ty of the Nile floods, were trapped behind a canal and massacred on all sides by the Egyptians led by Damietta's leader, Sultan Al-Adil With their army massacred and without reinforcements, the Crusaders had no choice but to return Damietta to the Egyptians. This was the final failure of the Crusades era, after which the Church did not unify any other country to reconquer Jerusalem. In conclusion, among other triumphs, the sole purpose of the Crusades was to reconquer the Holy Land: Jerusalem. Some crusades were successful, others failed, however, as a whole, they had long-term effects on history. The Crusades were important because not only were they a factor in the history of the progress of civilization, but their effects influenced the wealth and power of the Catholic Church as well as other matters (Alchison 1/1).