At the end of the 11th century, when the world was divided between the Christians in the West and the Muslims in the East, the Christians embarked on an (initially) successful crusade to free Jerusalem. Over the course of 700 years, however, the area changed hands several times (at one point--which sounds very familiar today--the Christians owned a small strip of land, while the Muslims controlled Jerusalem). Sandwiched between the 4th and 5th Christian crusades, the 1212 "Children's Crusade” consisted of two parallel movements led by young boys--one originating in France under Stephen of Cloyes; the other in Germany under Nicholas of Cologne--that attracted thousands of children. Both crusades faltered, as many of the French children were taken aboard ships and sold into slavery in North Africa, while the German children's march bogged down in Italy. Fact or fiction? Scholars who have combed medieval chronicles for clues have come to no clear conclusions (although Encyclopedia Britannica treats the Children's Crusade as fact), but suggest that the “children” might actually have been in their late teens. Regardless of the veracity of specific details, the Children's Crusade appears to have resulted in a rather large population shift to southern Europe. Originally airing on A&E's History's Mysteries series, this sure to be popular program is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Reed)
The Children's Crusade
(2000) 44 min. $19.99. The History Channel (dist. by Vision Video). PPR. Color cover. ISBN: 1-56364-569-6. Volume 17, Issue 4
The Children's Crusade
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