The Crusades After the death of Charlemagne, king of the Franks, in 814 and the following collapse of his empire, Christian Europe was under attack and on the defensive. The Magyars, nomadic people from Asia, ravaged eastern and central Europe until the 10th century. Around 800, several centuries of Viking raids disrupted life in northern Europe and even threatened Mediterranean cities. Nevertheless, the greatest threat came from the forces of Islam, very militant and victorious in the …showed first 75 words of 947 total…

…showed last 75 words of 947 total…of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, called the Templars were professional soldiers willing to spend long periods in the East. The orders of Crusading knights tried to meditate between the Church’s concern and to more worldy interests of princes who saw the East as an extension of their own ambitions and administrative plans. After the Second Crusade, these orders steadily began to gain popularity and support. As the crusading movement became players