Question

Which of the following Crusade was very successful in capturing the Holy Land?

• A. First Crusade (1095 - 1099)
• B. Second Crusade (1147 - 1149)
• C. Third Crusade (1189 - 1192)
• D. None of the above

Answer 1

The correct option is A First Crusade (1095 - 1099)

The most successful was that of the First Crusade (1096-1099). Led by Godfrey of Bouillon, Raymond of Saint-Gilles, Bohemond of Taranto and Hugh of Vermandois; four large Christian armies left the capital of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople, in August 1096, on the way to the Holy Land. After taking Nicea, the Anatolian capital of the Seljuks, the Crusaders captured Antioch in Syria and finally Jerusalem in 1099. The success of these conquests and others allowed the Crusaders to establish permanent settlements throughout the Holy Land. Hence, Option A is correct. The Second Crusade failed because the Christian armies were not able to take control of Edessa or Damascus. The Third Crusade conspicuously failed to liberate Jerusalem. The Holy City remained in Saracen hands at the end of the Crusade, sparking a series of additional military campaigns in the next century. Hence, these are incorrect options.