Name: ____________________________________
Document One (From the June 2005 Regents Exam)
…Though the great princes were apt to remain aloof, western knights responded readily
to the appeal of the holy war. Their motives were in part genuinely religious. They were
ashamed to continue fighting amongst themselves; they wanted to fight for the Cross. But
there was also a land-hunger to incite them, especially in northern France, where the
practice of primogeniture [eldest son inherited all] was being established. As a lord grew
unwilling to divide his property and its offices, now beginning to be concentrated round a
stone-built castle, his younger sons had to seek their fortunes elsewhere. There was a
general restlessness and taste for adventure in the knightly class in France, most marked
among the Normans, who were only a few generations removed from nomadic
freebooters. The opportunity for combining Christian duty with the acquisition of land in
a southern climate was very attractive. The Church had reason to be pleased with the
progress of the movement. Could it not be applied also to the eastern frontier of
Christendom? ….
Source: Steven Runciman, A History of the Crusades, Cambridge University Press, 1951
1a. According to this document, state two reasons why European knights and soldiers
joined the Crusades.
a. ____________________________________________________________________
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b. ____________________________________________________________________
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1b. What is meant by “they wanted to fight for the Cross”?
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1c. Who, specifically, issued the call for the Crusades?
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1d. When did the Crusades start? ___________________ End? _________________
1e. Why was the call for the Crusades issued?
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Document Two (From the June 2005 Regents Exam)
. . . O n e p os it i v e, u n d is p u te d res u lt o f t he C r usa des w a s a g reat l y e x p a n de d k n o w l e d ge o f
g e o g ra p h y ga i ne d b y t he W e s t. W i t h t he c o m i n g o f s uc h v ast h o r des o f i n v a de rs f r o m al l
p o i n ts o f E u r o pe, t he v e i l o f t he “ m y s te r i o us E ast” ha d b ee n l i f te d f o r g o o d. . . .
T h e A r a b b u i l de rs lear ne d m u c h a b o u t m i l i ta r y m a s o n r y f r o m t he C r usa ders w h o ha d
b r o u g h t t h is k n o w l e d g e f r o m N o r m a n d y a n d I ta l y. I n c o nst r u c t i n g t he f a m e d C i ta de l o f
C a i r o, Sa la d i n ha d ta k e n so m e o f t he f eat u res o f C r usa de rs’ cast les h e h a d o bser v e d u p
a n d d o w n t he L e v a n t [lan ds o f t he E aster n M e d i te r ra nea n]. T h e n, w h e n t he g reat
ca t h e d ra ls o f E u r o pe b e ga n t o r ise i n a so m e w h at later pe r i o d, t he i r b u i l de rs i nsta l le d
w i n d o w s o f stai ne d g lass m a d e w i t h a tec h n i q ue w h i c h h a d o r i g i n ate d w i t h t he a n c ie n t
P h o e n i c i a ns o f S y r ia a n d passed al o n g b y S y r ia n A r a bs t o E u r o pea ns l i v i n g i n t he E ast. . .
F r o m a p u re l y m i l i ta r y p o i n t o f v i e w, t he C r usa des m u s t be w r i t te n o f f as a f a i l u re f o r t he
W e s t, b e ca use, a f ter c ha n g i n g ha n ds s o m a n y t i m es, t he ter r it o r y c o m p r is i n g t he C h r is t ia n
K i n g d o m o f Jer usale m re v e r te d [ret u r ne d] t o t he M o s l e m s [ M u s l i m s] f o r g o o d. B u t
d u r i n g t h at t w o-ce n t u r y str u g g le bet w ee n E ast a n d W e s t, i t is p l a i n n o w t hat eac h si de
m a d e m a j o r c o n t r i b u t i o ns t o t he c u l t u re o f t he o t her. T h a t v ast i n te r c ha n ge let i n a f e w
ra ys o f l i g h t o v e r a da r k e ne d E u r o p e, a n d re m o v e d f o r g o o d t he w a l l o f i g n o ra n c e t hat
h a d a l w a y s e x iste d bet w ee n E u r o p e an d A s i a. . . .
Source: “Legacy of the Crusades,” Aramco World, VII, May 1956
2a. A c c o r d i n g t o t h is d o c u m e n t, w h a t w a s one p os it i v e, u n e x p e c te d o u t c o m e o f t he
C r u sa des o n W e s te r n c i v i l i z at i o n?
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2b. A c c o r d i n g t o t h is d o c u m e n t, w h a t w a s one p os i t i v e, u ne x p e c te d o u t c o m e o f t he
C r u sa des o n M u s l i m c i v i l i z at i o n?
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2c. B a se d o n t h is d o c u m e n t, state one reas o n t he W e s t w a s d isa p p o i n te d w i t h t he o u t c o m e o f
t he C r u sa des.
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2 d. I d e n t i f y a n d e x p la i n t he u l t i m a te o x y m o r o n t hat ep i t o m i z es t he C r usa des.
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