The Crusades and Crusader States FULL Revision Notes (A-Level History)

The Crusades and Crusader States FULL Revision Notes (OCR and the majority of the AQA A-Level History courses).

These revision notes (PDF and Word versions included) are incredibly detailed and extensive to ensure thorough knowledge of the the First, Second and Third Crusade as well as the Crusader States. This resource contains two revision packs - one with detailed notes for the First Crusade and Crusader States, the other is for the Second and Third Crusade.

Revision Notes have been laid out in a clear way (topics and sub-topics) and have been written in accordance with the A Level specification requirements.

*Example: *

Why did the situation in Western Europe encourage Crusading?
Theoretical issues: Just War / The Truce of God and the Peace of God movements
Practical motives: Desire of the Popes to bolster their power, the wish to defeat the Muslims threatening Europe and the need to preserve the position of the eastern Roman Empire.
The Issue of Religion: Religion and the Church had a great hold over peoples’ lives which were often short and brutal. Hell was a very real fear and the offer from the Church to shorten your time there or avoid it altogether by undertaking pilgrimage of a crusade appealed to many.
Subtopic: The Just War
One of the reasons why crusading became an acceptable, and even desirable, duty for a Christian knight was that it was seen as morally justified. This belief in a Just War or holy war was derived from a number of sources.
• The Bible, especially the Old Testament, was full of examples of fighting heroes, such as Joshua and King David. The victories of the Israelites over their enemies were viewed as triumphs for God over heathen people.
• The Greek Philosopher Aristotle had used the phrase ‘Just War’ to describe war, which was, as he put it, ‘for the sake of peace.’

Thank you for your interest in this source. Should you have any questions concerning this resource, or the course in general, please do not hesitate to email alevelrevisionmadeeasy@gmail.com