Crusades

The name given retrospectively to a series of campaigns preached by the papacy initially for the recovery of the Holy Land from the Muslims, but from the mid-12th century extending into other areas. Campaigns were mounted against the Baltic pagans, against heretics and political opponents of the papacy within Europe, and against the Ottoman Turks. Crusaders - mostly recruited from among knights - were given religious privileges in return for participation. The First Crusade (1096-99) established the Crusader States, but successive operations throughout the 12th and 13th centuries failed to achieve as much success.