The Crusades: Holy War, Pilgrimage, and the Clash of Empires

CrashCourse

This installment of Crash Course World History explores the complex and often misunderstood era of the Crusades. Host John Green moves beyond the romanticized "knights in shining armor" narrative to examine the political, religious, and economic motivations behind these military expeditions. The video covers the timeline from the First Crusade's call to arms by Pope Urban II in 1095 through the disastrous Fourth Crusade that resulted in the sacking of Constantinople.