Children's Crusade. Medieval tragedy. The history of the crusades: how the children's army went behind the Holy Sepulcher

In June 1212(?), in a village near Vendôme (France), a shepherd named Stephen appeared, who announced that he was the messenger of God, called to become the leader of the Christians and again conquer the Promised Land; the sea had to dry up before the army of spiritual Israel. He passed through the whole country and everywhere caused a violent animation with his speeches, as well as with the miracles that he performed in front of thousands of eyewitnesses.

Soon, boys appeared in many places as preachers of the cross, they gathered around themselves whole crowds of like-minded people and led them, with banners and crosses, with solemn songs, to the wonderful boy Stephany. If someone asked the young fools where they were going, they received in response that they were going "over the sea, to God." Their parents and prudent clerics who wanted to keep the children from their enterprise could not do anything, especially since the masses of the people expected great things from this crusade and sharply reproached those who thought differently because they did not understand the trends of the Holy Spirit in children who, by their very innocence, seemed to be called again to return the Holy Sepulcher, lost due to the sinfulness of their ancestors.

Finally, the king of France tried to suppress this nonsense by ordering the young fools to return home. Some of them followed this order, but most did not pay attention to it, and soon adults were also involved in this fantastic event. Not only priests, artisans and peasants, but also thieves and criminals "who took the right path" came to him. The hike grew stronger and stronger. "He was led by a shepherd boy on a chariot hung with carpets, surrounded by bodyguards, and behind him were up to 30,000 pilgrims and pilgrims."

When the crowd reached Marseilles, two slave traders volunteered to transport these "christ's champions" to Syria for "God's reward". They sailed on seven ships, two of them crashed at the island of San Pietro near Sardinia, and on the remaining five merchants arrived in Egypt and sold the pilgrims - crusaders as slaves. Thousands of them came to the court of the Caliph and worthily distinguished themselves there by the steadfastness with which they upheld the Christian faith.

Both slave traders later fell into the hands of Emperor Frederick II and were sentenced to death by hanging. In addition, this emperor succeeded, as they say, at the conclusion of peace in 1229, with Sultan Alkamil, again to return the freedom of a significant part of these unfortunate pilgrim children.

The madness that gripped French children also had an effect in Germany, especially in the lower Rhine regions. Here the boy Nikolai (Nicholas) performed, who was not even ten years old, led by his father (slave trader), who used the child for his own purposes, for which he was subsequently hanged along with other deceivers and criminals.

Wherever Nikolai appeared, he irresistibly attracted children to him. As a result, a crowd of twenty thousand boys and girls gathered, as well as a disorderly rabble, which moved south through the Alps. On the way, most of her died from hunger and robbers, or returned home, terrified by the difficulties of the campaign: nevertheless, thousands more reached Genya on August 25. Here they were driven out unfriendly and forced to a quick further march, because the Genese were afraid of any danger to their city from the strange army of the pilgrims.

After that, they reached Brindisi, but here, thanks to the energy of the bishop there, they were prevented from undertaking a sea voyage to the East. Then they had no choice but to return home. Some of the boys went to Rome to ask the pope for permission from the vow of the cross. But the Pope did not fulfill their requests, although he ordered them to abandon their crazy enterprise; now he gave them only a respite from the crusade until they came of age. The return journey destroyed almost the entire remnant of this children's army. Hundreds of them fell from exhaustion in the journey and died miserably on the high roads. The worst fate fell, of course, on the lot of girls, who, in addition to all sorts of other disasters, were also subjected to all sorts of deceptions and violence. A few managed to find shelter in good families and earn their livelihood with their own hands. In Genya, some patrician families even trace their beginnings to the German children who remained there; but still, only a small remnant of the entire army, sick and exhausted, ridiculed and desecrated, again saw the homeland. They say about Nicholas that he seemed to be fighting at Damietta in Egypt in 1219 ...

History of the Children's Crusade.
The Children's Crusade is one of the saddest episodes of the Middle Ages. For many centuries, they preferred not to remember him because of the complete failure of this undertaking. That is why not much information about this event has come down to us.
By the time the unusual Children's Crusade began, 4 campaigns of the Cross Army had already been carried out. However, despite the successes of the first wars, in 1187 Jerusalem was again captured by the Muslims. Later, the Third and Fourth campaigns followed, but the long-awaited goal, the liberation of Jerusalem, was not achieved.
In general, the situation on the eve of the Crusade of children predisposed to the beginning of something like this. At that time, people questioned the idea of ​​the Crusades. The reason for this was the consequences of the 4th Crusade. If the previous 3 were aimed solely at the liberation of the believing brothers from the oppression of Muslims, then this campaign was of a pronounced predatory nature. Having reached Constantinople, the crusaders, under the influence of Venice, refused to liberate the Holy Sepulcher. Instead, they captured the capital of the Byzantine Empire and organized several states in its former territory. Needless to say, no one was going to go to Jerusalem.
Such a sad outcome served as a weighty argument in favor of the idea that sinful adults cannot achieve the long-awaited goal - the liberation of the Holy Land. And in 1212 this resulted in what would later be called the Children's Crusade. So, it was in this year that the French shepherd, 13-year-old Stephen, announced that in a dream the Savior himself appeared to him in the form of a monk and ordered him to gather a new army of the Cross. He argued that they would not need weapons to win, that they would defeat the enemy with a word and a cry, just as the Jews captured Jericho in their time.
This young preacher quickly gained popularity. Despite his age, he was persuasive in speeches and confirmed them by the miracles performed by him in the presence of a large crowd. And considering it young age, it is very unlikely that these were the tricks of a scammer.
He preached throughout France, gathering more and more supporters. However, there were many opponents. The parents of the young enthusiasts were categorically against the participation of their children and tried to convince them to stay. Soon the king of France himself intervened, ordering everyone to go home, which did not affect everyone at all. Perhaps everything was complicated by the fact that teenagers wanted to avenge the death of their fathers and grandfathers who had fallen in previous campaigns.
In any case, the movement gained popularity, and after the completion of the journey, Stephen led a 30,000-strong army of children that had gathered in the small town of Vendôme. Although calling it a children's event would still be a slight exaggeration, because the bulk of the participants were teenagers and young boys. Others included monks, girls in disguise, and a small number of adult commoners.
And it was not the only army of the Cross that came out to liberate Jerusalem. In Germany, a similar army of 20 thousand people was led by a 10-year-old supporter of Stefan Nicholas.
The two armies followed different paths. The French went to the south of France to the port city of Marseilles, where, according to Stephen, the sea should have parted before the army of the Cross, and they would go on dry land to Jerusalem. Along the way, the young crusaders faced many hardships: hunger, disease, numerous attacks. And to walk several hundred kilometers on foot was a severe test for the Cross Army. Many returned home.
Upon arrival in Marseille, the crusaders encountered a new obstacle - the sea, which, as expected, did not part before them. Days passed in prayer, after which 2 merchants decided to help them. Their names were Hugo Ferreus and Guillaume Porkus. They provided 7 ships. Each of them was designed for 700 people.
After their departure, the trail of the crusaders was lost. A few years later it became known that the aforementioned traffickers colluded with the slave traders and sent the children not to Syria, but to Algeria or Egypt (in different sources differently). It is also known that 2 ships sank during the storm. As for those slave traders, they ended their lives on the scaffold. Another theory is put forward that Frederick II, when signing a peace treaty with Sultan Alkamil, managed to return the pilgrims home.
The fate of the German army was no less sad. Their path was even more severe than that of the French. The transition through the Alps was especially difficult for them. Further, a very unfriendly attitude of the locals awaited them, who could not forget the sack of Italy by Frederick Barbarossa.
What happened after the crusaders reached the city of Brindisi history gives 2 answers. According to one version, the local bishop was able to stop the campaign, and the children went back. Most didn't survive it. And those few who survived so much torment were in for shame and humiliation. They say that Nicholas did not share the fate of his army, and in 1219 he took part in the battle of Damietta. According to another version, the same bishop hired and supplied 2 ships for the pilgrims at his own expense. Along the way, they drowned along with their leader.

The conquest of Constantinople in 1204 as a result of the Fourth Crusade was the last significant result of the crusader movement. The idea of ​​a holy war had exhausted itself, but the papacy continued to call on Christians to capture Jerusalem. The fanaticism of the common people expressed itself in its ugliest form in the Children's Crusade of 1212.

The birth of the idea of ​​a children's crusade

The successes of Muslims in the East significantly cooled the warlike fervor of the Crusaders. The appeals of the Pope found a response only among the peasantry. The crazy idea arose that victory could only be achieved by innocent, unarmed children, because true warriors were hindered by the weight of accumulated sins.

Rice. 1. Engraving by G. Doré.

Briefly about the children's crusade is evidenced by the history of movements in France and Germany.

French Children's Crusade

In May 1212, the 12-year-old shepherd Etienne came to the abbey of Saint-Denis (Paris). He declared that he was God's messenger and should lead crusade children. The Catholic clergy took advantage of the boy for their own purposes. Etienne was helped. He began preaching to the peasants and performing "miracles."

Many imitators of Etienne appeared. Peasant children no older than 12 gathered around the new preacher. About 30,000 children gathered in the city of Vendôme in a month.

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The children quickly reached Marseille. Here the shipowners agreed to transport them by sea. During the voyage, a storm broke out. Two ships with children sank near Sardinia. The remaining five brought the children to Egypt, where they were sold into slavery.

Child traffickers were subsequently executed, but the fact that child fanaticism was used was monstrous.

Rice. 2. Model of the Crusader ship.

The children who reached Marseilles were extremely surprised that the sea did not part before the “holy host”.

German Children's Crusade

Like Étienne in France, the preaching child also appeared in Germany. Ten-year-old Niklas, together with his father, preached the idea of ​​a crusade in the lower Rhine regions.

Niklas' sermons had big success. Per short term about 20 thousand children gathered in Cologne. The army of young knights of the cross moved south. When crossing the Alps, two-thirds of the children died of starvation.

Near Rome, part of the crusaders turned back, the rest headed for the port of Brindisi. Only the intervention of the local bishop protected the children from the hands of the slave traders.

On the way back, the young German crusaders almost all died of starvation and disease.

Pope Innocent III did not condemn this crazy idea. He granted the surviving children a "reprieve" until adulthood, after which they had to fulfill their holy vow.

Outcome of the Children's Crusade

The French and German Children's Crusades are often combined into one movement, as they have similarities :

• the fanatical faith of children in their holy mission, supported by the clergy;
• Catholicism did not provide children with any support, except for spiritual parting words;
• the credulity of children was taken advantage of (or only tried) by slave traders;
• tragic outcome (the senseless death of thousands of children).

Results of children's trips were the following:

• disappointment in the religious sense of the crusader movement;
• increased calls from the Pope for a new crusade to avenge the deaths of children.

In the summer of 1212, an event took place that we know as a children's crusade. A mass of children and girls, armed and equipped only with banners and psalms, set off to defeat the army of infidels. Holy faith or impenetrable fatal stupidity?

Chroniclers of the thirteenth century. described in detail feudal quarrels and bloody wars, but did not pay close attention to this tragic page middle ages.

Children's campaigns are mentioned (sometimes briefly, in one or two lines, sometimes taking half a page to describe them) by more than 50 medieval authors; of these, only more than 20 are trustworthy, since they either saw the young crusaders with their own eyes, or, relying on eyewitness accounts, kept their records in the years close to the events of 1212. Yes, and the information of these authors is very fragmentary. Here, for example, is one of the references to the crusade of children in a medieval chronicle:
"Crusade, called children's, 1212"
“In the aforesaid era, a ridiculous sortie was undertaken: children and unintelligent people hastily and thoughtlessly set out on a crusade, driven more by curiosity than by concern for the salvation of the soul. Children of both sexes, boys and girls, went on this expedition, and not only small children, but also adults, married women and girls - they all went in crowds with empty wallets, flooding not only all of Germany, but also the country of the Gauls and Burgundy. Neither friends nor relatives could in any way keep them at home: they resorted to any tricks to get on the road. Things got to the point that everywhere, in the villages and right in the field, people left their guns, leaving on the spot even those that were in their hands, and joined the procession. Since, when we encounter such events, we are often an extremely credulous crowd, many people, seeing in this a sign of true piety, filled with the Spirit of God, and not the result of a thoughtless impulse, hastened to supply the strangers with everything they needed, distributing food and everything in which they needed. But the clergy and some others, who had a more sound judgment and denounced this walk, which they found completely absurd, the laity gave a furious rebuff, reproaching them for unbelief and arguing that they opposed this act more out of envy and avarice than for the sake of truth and justice. Meanwhile, any work begun without a due test of reason and without relying on wise discussion will never lead to anything good. And so, when these crazy crowds entered the lands of Italy, they dispersed in different directions and scattered through the cities and towns, and many of them fell into slavery to the local residents. Some, as they say, reached the sea, and there, trusting the crafty shipbuilders, they allowed themselves to be taken away to other overseas countries. Those who continued the campaign, having reached Rome, found that it was impossible for them to go further, since they did not have support from any authorities, and they finally had to admit that the waste of their strength was empty and in vain, although, however, no one could remove from them a vow to make a crusade - only children who had not reached a conscious age, and old people, bent under the weight of years, were free from it. So, disappointed and embarrassed, they set off on their way back. Once accustomed to marching from province to province in a crowd, each in his own company and without stopping singing, they now returned in silence, one by one, barefoot and hungry. They were subjected to all sorts of humiliations, and not one girl was captured by rapists and deprived of innocence.
The most detailed account of the children's crusades is contained in the chronicle of the Cistercian monk Albric de Troifontaine (Chalon Abbey on the Marne), but this account, as scientists have found, is also the least reliable.

The actual history of the children's crusades received any coherent coverage only in works written 40-50 years after the events described in them - in the compilation work of the French Dominican monk Vincent of Beauvais "Historical Mirror", in the "Big Chronicle" of the English monk from St. Albans, Matthew of Paris, and in some others, where historical facts, however, are almost completely dissolved in the author's fantasy.

The only solid study of the children's crusade remains George Zabriskie Gray's book, published in 1870 and reprinted a hundred years later. An American Catholic priest of Polish origin was immensely surprised at the almost complete oblivion of such a significant event, and this prompted Gray to write his first and last book, for which it was necessary to literally collect crumbs of information about the crusade of children scattered in the chronicles of the XIII century. Gray sinned digressions, verbosity and excessive sentimentality for a historian. But more than a hundred years have passed, and the book of the amateur writer is still out of competition. There was no worthy opponent and refuter of it. Not for lack of talent, but for lack of zeal.
So what happened in the hot, dry summer of 1212?
To begin with, let's turn to history, consider the causes of the crusades in general and the campaign of children in particular.

Causes of the Crusades.

For quite some time now, Europe has looked with alarm at what was happening in Palestine. The stories of the pilgrims returning from there to Europe about the persecution and insults they endured in the Holy Land excited the European peoples. Little by little, a conviction arose of the need to help Christianity in the East and return to the Christian world its most precious and revered shrines. But in order for Europe to send numerous hordes of various nationalities to this enterprise for two centuries, it was necessary to have special reasons and a special situation.

There were many reasons in Europe that helped to carry out the idea of ​​the Crusades. Medieval society was generally distinguished by its religious mood; therefore, feats for the faith and for the good of Christianity were especially understandable at that time. In the 11th century, the Cluniac movement intensified and gained great influence, which caused an even greater desire for spiritual exploits.

According to Georges Duby, the crusades were a kind of pilgrimage. For “the pilgrimage was a form of repentance, a test, a means of purification, a preparation for doomsday. It was also a symbol: to give up the moorings and head for Canaan was, as it were, a prelude to earthly death and the acquisition of another life. The pilgrimage was also a pleasure: traveling through distant lands provided entertainment for the dejected dullness of this world. Traveled in a group, a group of friends. And, going to Santiago de Compostela or Jerusalem, the knights took weapons with them, hoping to lightly fray the infidels; in the course of such travels, the idea of ​​\u200b\u200ba holy war and the crusades took shape. The pilgrimage was not much different from the journeys periodically undertaken by knights hurrying to serve at the lord's court. Only this time it was about serving other seniors - saints.
Great importance for the crusades, the rise of the papacy also had. The popes understood that if they became the head of the movement in favor of the liberation of the Holy Sepulcher and liberated it, then their influence and greatness would reach extraordinary proportions. Already Pope Gregory VII dreamed of a crusade, but could not carry it out.

In addition, for all classes of medieval society, the crusades seemed very attractive from worldly points of view. Barons and knights, in addition to religious motives, hoped for glorious deeds, for profit, for the satisfaction of their ambition; merchants expected to increase their profits by expanding trade with the East; the oppressed peasants were freed from serfdom for participation in the crusade and knew that during their absence the church and the state would take care of the families they left behind in their homeland; debtors and defendants knew that during their participation in the crusade they would not be prosecuted by the creditor or the court.

So, along with the religious inspiration that engulfed Europe, there were other, purely worldly, material reasons for carrying out the crusade, for "that land [in the East, among the infidels] flows with honey and milk."
The dangerous position of Byzantium also affected the West, especially the papacy; although the Byzantine Church separated from the Western one, it nevertheless remained the main stronghold of Christianity in the East and was the first to take upon itself the blows of enemies - non-Christians. The popes, having supported Byzantium, in the event of a successful crusade, could count on its union with the Catholic Church.

Mood in Western Europe was prepared for the crusade. The pleading messages of the Byzantine emperor Alexios Komnenos for help (driven to despair, constrained by the position of his state, which was on the verge of death, he sent messages to Western Europe, in which he pleaded for help against the infidels) reached the Western European sovereigns and the pope just in time .

Pope at the end of the XI century was Urban II, a Frenchman by birth. At the cathedral in Placencia (now Piacenza), in northern Italy, under his leadership, questions about "God's peace" were discussed ["God's peace" is a mandatory cessation for a relatively long period (up to 30 years) of hostilities in a particular country (region) Western Europe, prescribed by the Catholic Church at the end of the 10th - 12th centuries] and other useful church affairs. At this very time, requests from Alexei Komnenos for help were delivered to Placentia. The Pope briefed the council on the content of the Byzantine message; the audience reacted sympathetically to the message and expressed their readiness to go on a campaign against the infidels.6
A few months later, in 1095, Urban II moved to France, where a new council was convened in the city of Clermont, in southern France.

A lot of people came to this cathedral. There was not a single building in the city that could accommodate all those present at the cathedral. A huge crowd of people of different classes, gathered in the open air, gathered with impatience awaited reports of important events. Finally, on November 26, Urban II addressed the audience with a fiery speech. Here is how the chroniclers describe the cathedral in Clermont: “In the year from the incarnation of the Lord one thousand ninety-five, at the time when Emperor Henry [Henry IV (1050 - 1106), German king and emperor of the “Holy Roman Empire” (since 1056) reigned in Germany ] and in France, King Philip [Philip I (1052 - 1108), King of France from 1060], when in all parts of Europe manifold evils were growing and faith was wavering, in Rome there was Pope Urban II, a man of distinguished life and morals, who provided the saint church, the highest position and knew how to dispose of everything quickly and deliberately.

Seeing how the Christian faith is boundlessly trampled upon by everyone - both the clergy and the laity, how the sovereign princes are constantly fighting among themselves, now one, then the other - in contention with each other, they neglect the world everywhere, the blessings of the earth are plundered, many are unjustly kept chained in captivity, they are thrown into the most terrible dungeons, forced to redeem themselves for an exorbitant price, or subjected there to triple torture, that is, hunger, thirst, cold, and they die in obscurity; seeing how they indulge in violent desecration of the shrine, monasteries and villages are thrown into the fire, not sparing any of the mortals, they mock at everything divine and human; having also heard that the interior regions of Romania [In the era of the Crusades, Asia Minor territories of Byzantium and other regions were called Romania] were captured from Christians by the Turks and were subjected to dangerous and devastating attacks, the pope, prompted by piety and love and acting at the behest of God, crossed over the mountains and with the help suitably appointed legates ordered to convene a council in Auvergne [Auvergne - historical area France within the Central French massif.] in Clermont - this is the name of this city, where three hundred and ten bishops and abbots gathered, leaning on their staffs ... "
Such a solemn and, according to medieval concepts, reasoned overture to the Crusades is given in his “Jerusalem History” by the French priest and chronicler Fulcherius of Chartres, who accompanied Count Baldwin of Bouillon as a chaplain during the campaign to Edessa.

Already in the early spring of 1096, the crusader troops set out on a campaign. Their guiding star was the Holy City - Jerusalem.
Scattered throughout the cities and villages and repeated many times by an army of bishops, priests and monks, the Clermont sermon with its idea of ​​liberating the “Holy Sepulcher” from the infidels and the promise to the participants in the campaign of complete forgiveness of sins caused a general spiritual upsurge and the widest response throughout the Western world. The masses of the common people, seized with a burst of religious enthusiasm, rushed to the "holy pilgrimage", ahead of the knights, who needed time to prepare equipment and settle family and property affairs. Abbot Guibert of Nozhansky writes in his History: “... Everyone, to whom a quick rumor delivered a papal prescription, went to his neighbors and relatives, admonishing [them] to enter the path of the Lord, as the expected campaign was then called. The zeal of the counts was already inflamed, and the chivalry began to think about a campaign, when the courage of the poor was kindled with such great zeal that none of them paid attention to the poverty of income, did not care about the proper sale of houses, vineyards and fields: everyone put on sale the best part of the property for an insignificant price, as if he was in cruel slavery, or was imprisoned, and it was about a speedy ransom ... What can I say about children, about old men who were going to war? Who can count the maidens and old men crushed by the burden of years? - Everyone sings of the war, if they do not take part in it; everyone is longing for martyrdom, which they go to in order to fall under the blows of swords, and they say: “You young people, join the battle, and let us be allowed to earn before Christ with our sufferings.”
“Some poor people, having shoed bulls, as they do with horses, and harnessing them to two-wheeled carts, on which their meager belongings were placed along with small children, dragged all this with them; when these children saw some castle or city that came across on their way, they asked if this was Jerusalem, which they were striving for ... While the princes, who needed large funds to support those who made up their retinue, prepared for a long and baggy campaign, simple people, poor in means, but numerous, gathered around a certain Peter the Hermit and obeyed him as their leader ... He went around cities and villages, preaching everywhere, and, as we [ourselves] saw, the people surrounded him with such crowds , he was bestowed with such generous gifts, so glorified his holiness, that I do not remember anyone who has ever been given such honors. Peter was very generous to the poor, distributing much of what was given to him ... This man, having gathered a large army, carried away partly by the general impulse, and partly by his sermons, decided to direct his path through the land of the Hungarians ... "
Along the way, crowds of the poor and separate detachments of knightly freemen robbed local residents, staged pogroms and themselves suffered considerable losses. The peasant detachments that reached Constantinople in the summer were prudently transferred to Asia Minor and in October 1096 were completely exterminated by the Seljuks.

At the end of 1096, crusading detachments of feudal lords also began to arrive in Constantinople. After numerous skirmishes and long persuasion, pledging to return to the Byzantine emperor those lands that they would conquer from the Turks, the crusaders crossed over to Asia Minor.

On the lands occupied by the crusaders by the beginning of the XII century. four states were formed: the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the county of Tripoli, the principality of Antioch and the county of Edessa, in which the feudal orders that dominated Western Europe were reproduced in a more “pure”, classical form. played an important role in these countries Catholic Church and organizations specially created by her - spiritual and knightly orders, which had extremely broad privileges.

The success of the crusaders in the East was largely due to the lack of unity in the ranks of the Muslims themselves, the struggle between petty local rulers. As soon as the rallying of Muslim states began, the crusaders began to lose their possessions: Edessa already in 1144. Called to improve the situation, the Second Crusade (1147 - 1149), inspired by Bernard of Clairvaux and led by the French king Louis VII and the German king Conrad III, turned out to be unsuccessful . In 1187, Saladin, who united Egypt and Syria under his rule, managed to capture Jerusalem, which caused the Third Crusade (1189 - 1192), headed by three European sovereigns: the German emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, the French king Philip II August and English king Richard I Lion Heart. In this campaign, the growing Anglo-French contradictions manifested themselves with unprecedented force, paralyzing the military potential of the crusaders after the death of Frederick and the departure of the German detachments. Taken after a long, two-year siege, Acre became the capital of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Jerusalem remained in the hands of the Muslims. Richard I, without completing his vow, was forced to leave Palestine (having previously agreed with Saladin to allow pilgrims and merchants to visit Jerusalem for three years) after Philip II, who suddenly left for Europe, concluded an alliance against him with the new German emperor Henry VI.

In the Fourth Crusade (1202-1204), launched at the call of Pope Innocent II, perhaps for the first time, both the divergence between the secular and religious aspirations of its participants and the growth of the universalist claims of the papal throne in the conditions of a sharp aggravation of relations with Byzantium were clearly manifested. Having set out on a campaign against the Muslims of Egypt, the crusaders, who owed the Venetians for transportation by sea, repaid their debt by conquering the Christian merchant city of Zadar, which competed with Venice, the overlord of which was the king of Hungary, and completed the campaign by storming and sacking Constantinople, mercilessly massacring its inhabitants and destroying many works of art.

Justifications for such a radical change in the direction of the campaign by the crusaders themselves leave no doubt that it was far from accidental, although, perhaps, not a foregone conclusion. Gunter of Paris explains the motives of the participants in the campaign in his History of the Conquest of Constantinople: “... They knew that Constantinople was a rebellious and hated city for the holy Roman Church, and did not think that its conquest by ours would be very objectionable to the supreme pontiff or even to (himself) God. In particular, the Venetians, whose fleet they used to sail, encouraged [the crusaders] to do this, partly in the hope of obtaining the promised money, for which this people are very greedy, partly because this city, strong, has many ships , claimed supremacy and dominion over all this sea ... There was, however, as we believe, another reason, much more ancient [in origin] and important [than all these], namely, the advice of the goodness of the Lord, who intended such how to humiliate this people, filled with pride because of their wealth, and bring [it] to peace and harmony with the holy universal church. It seemed in accordance with [God's plans] that this people, which could not be corrected in any other way, would be punished by the death of a few and the loss of worldly goods, which they owned in abundance, and that the people of the pilgrims would be enriched with booty [taken] from the proud, and all [ their] land would pass into our possession, and that the western church would be adorned with sacred relics, which the unworthy (Greeks) appropriated to themselves, and would forever rejoice in them. It is also especially important that this city, often mentioned [by us], which has always been treacherous [in relation to] the pilgrims, having finally changed its inhabitants by the will of God, will remain faithful and unanimous [of the same faith] and will be able to provide us with all the more constant help in overcoming the barbarians, in conquering the Holy Land and mastering it, which is very close to it ... ”In a letter from an unknown knight, a participant in the events, we find a more concise explanation:“ ... [We] carried out the work of the Savior, [such] so that the eastern church, whose capital was Constantinople, with the emperor and all its empire) would recognize itself as the daughter of its head - the Roman high priest and faithfully obey him in everything with proper humility ... "
After the capture of half of the Byzantine Empire, plans for a further campaign to the East and the "liberation of the Holy Sepulcher" were abandoned. On the conquered territory, the crusaders founded the so-called Latin Empire (as opposed to the "Greek" - Byzantine), which did not last long. In 1261, the Greeks again captured Constantinople and restored Byzantine Empire, however, the latter never managed to recover from the defeat that the “Christian knights” subjected it to.

Devastation, strife and exhausting crusades devastated European cities and villages. People did not even want to think about another bloody massacre for the "Holy Sepulcher". Only the papal curia did not let up. Pope Innocent III constantly sent out his legates to inspire the masses and the barons to a new campaign against the infidels. And the people were inspired. But only in words. No one was in a hurry to get military glory and lay down their heads for the "second paradise of pleasures" even in order to immediately get into the first. The pope burst into threats of disgrace and excommunication, the priests excelled in eloquence, and the people, tearing their throats in cries of approval, stubbornly did not want to join the ranks of the crusader army.

How, after all, to knock out a spark and ignite the fire of a holy war in such difficult times for the church? The people, who used to be like gunpowder (not yet invented at that time), are now like wet deadwood! Well, no other people are foreseen, and it is necessary to look for an armchair more searching than the former!
The idea of ​​a holy war in the name of the liberation of Jerusalem from the "infidels" did not fade away in Europe, despite the failures that befell the crusader during the third crusade.

After the capture of Constantinople by the knights during the Fourth Crusade, the idea of ​​liberating the “Holy Sepulcher” received a new impetus: “God’s work” will be successful if it ends up in the hands of those who are least sunk in sins and self-interest.

So, Peter of Blois, who wrote a treatise “On the need to hasten the Jerusalem campaign”, condemned the knights in it, who turned the crusade into a worldly adventure; such an adventure, he argued, was doomed to failure. The liberation of Jerusalem will be possible only for the poor, strong in their devotion to God. Alan of Lilsky, in one of his sermons, lamenting the fall of Jerusalem, explained it by the fact that God had abandoned the Catholics. “He does not find refuge either with the priests, because here Simony (corruption) has found refuge for herself, or with the knights, because robbery serves as a refuge for them, or among the townspeople, because usury flourishes among them, and among merchants - deceit, nor among the city mob, where theft has built its nest. And - again the same refrain: Jerusalem will be saved by the poor, those very poor in spirit, which are spoken of in the Gospel of Matthew. Poverty was portrayed as the source of all virtues and the guarantee of the coming victory over the "infidels".
Against the background of such sermons, many people of that time came to the conclusion that if adult people burdened with sins cannot return Jerusalem, then innocent children must complete this task, since God will help them. And then, to the joy of the pope, a prophet-lad appeared in France, who began to preach a crusade.

The year 1212 was a great success: there was no rain, the sun was scorching, the entire crop withered in the bud, hunger loomed on the threshold, the smell of the apocalypse... As usual in a hard time, many prophets appeared, foreshadowing a variety of misfortunes for sinful humanity...

MILK AND HONEY OF THE POPE

“All those who go there in the event of their death will henceforth have the remission of sins. Let them oppose the infidels in battle, which should give trophies in abundance ... That land flows with honey and milk. Whoever is woeful here will become rich there.” The speech of Pope Urban II made an impression on the listeners. The first Crusade - in the name of the liberation of Jerusalem from the Muslims - took place in 1095. Then there were four more: the infidels were in no hurry to surrender, the conquered Palestine had to be held with the help of weapons, and the Holy Sepulcher was not given into the hands of the crusaders. Why? In May 1212, the French shepherd Etienne learned the answer to this question. Jesus appeared to him and said: adults are mired in sins, they are greedy and depraved. The Lord loves the innocent. Therefore, only children can cleanse Jerusalem of infidels. And he - Etienne - will lead them on a campaign ...

BY THE MOUTH OF A CHILD

Etienne with his vision would not be much different from dozens of other excessively exalted personalities, if not for one thing: the boy was barely 12 years old. therefore, his stories were treated with reverence, because it is known: the truth speaks through the mouth of an infant. In addition, the "baby" sincerely imagined himself to be God's messenger, about which he told the holy fathers from the abbey of Saint-Denis in Paris.

Etienne also had quite material evidence of his "God's chosenness": a letter from Jesus addressed to the king. The message contained the same call to free Jerusalem by the forces of children. Waving this letter, Etienne, accompanied by monks, peasants, artisans and all sorts of rabble who had joined him, traveled around towns and villages and urged the children to go with him - and the children went. "Crusader fever" seized the French poor children - 10-12-year-old boys and girls in simple canvas shirts with crosses sewn on them crowds rushed after the "God's messenger". Why didn't their parents keep them? These people, poor for the most part, had nothing more to hope for than the mercy of God. And although the movement of the crusaders of the XII century discredited itself with robbery and military failures, the belief that the Lord would be more merciful if the holy city of Jerusalem could be recaptured was still warm among the people. In addition, priests added fuel to the fire.

The church did not want to lose its influence, let alone the rich Palestinian lands. But there were fewer and fewer hunters to fight for Jerusalem. Therefore, the "heavy artillery" - children - went into action. Innocent III declared: "These children serve as a reproach to us adults: while we sleep, they joyfully advocate for the Holy Land." It seems that this says it all: the pope expected that their parents would go on a crusade after the children, but... The King of France, Philip II, who, by the way, never received Jesus' letter, quickly figured out the situation and issued a decree prohibiting the organization any trips. The monarch was unable to stop the children: the movement became massive, and besides, it was dangerous to quarrel with the pope directly...

About 30 thousand children, led by Etienne, went through Tours, Lyon and other French cities, feeding on alms. And here in front of them is the port of Marseille. “God’s messenger * repeatedly repeated to them the words allegedly spoken by Jesus: “At the command of God, the Mediterranean Sea will part before you, and you will pass along the dry bottom, like the biblical hero Moses, and take away the “holy tomb” from the infidels. The children stopped by the sea, sang religious hymns and fervently prayed to the Lord. But the miracle did not happen: the sea did not even think to part. After two weeks, during which, by the way, Etienne disappeared without a trace, fate smiled at the young crusaders, who were already ready to doubt their faith. Some merchants - Hugo Ferrius and William Porcus - offered their services to the children: they say, here are beautiful ships for you, for the sake of a charitable cause, we are ready to provide them free of charge, that is, as a gift. Seven wonderful, large, strong ships! Is free! De and rejoiced at the miracle and fearlessly went up on deck. Not far from the coast of Sardinia, near the island of St. Peter (how symbolic!), the ships were caught in a storm. Two ships, along with all the passengers, went to the bottom, and the remaining five landed on the shores. Just not, but where the enterprising merchants Hugo and William sold the young crusaders into slavery. Nobody returned home... However, this is not the whole story.

THE APPEARANCE OF THE CROSS

In the same May 1212, the German youth Nicholas also had a vision: he saw a cross in the sky and heard a Divine command to gather children and move to Jerusalem. An order is an order, besides, the holy fathers did a great job on the “image” of Nicholas. Until now, unremarkable - perhaps too dreamy - a 10-year-old boy suddenly acquired the ability of a healer Blind, deaf and lepers reached out to him - and Nicholas, according to medieval chroniclers, bestowed health on all of them, it was impossible not to fall under his charm. As a result, thousands of children rushed after him - to Jerusalem.

The starting point of the movement of the German children's crusade was Cologne - one of the main religious centers of the then German barons strongly opposed this undertaking, but the country was then ruled by the young king - 17-year-old Frederick II of Hohenstauffen. owes his throne to the pope. Formally, he banned the campaign, but after his ban, the movement began to acquire a mass character. Even 5-6-year-old children went to fight for the Holy Sepulcher! These kids had a harder time than their French associates: they at least walked along their own territory, along the roads of France. The Alps stood in the way of the German children. Of course, you can go around them, but it will take some time. And you can't delay! The Holy Sepulcher is in danger - this idea was inspired by the children of the holy fathers who accompanied them (read - led them) on the campaign. And thousands of children went to the mountains - to the sound of fanfares and trumpets, singing religious hymns written especially for them. Very soon, hunger became their constant companion, and then a killer. The dead were not buried - they were left lying on the ground without even reading a prayer: there was no strength for this. Of the 40 thousand children who began crossing the Alps, only one in four came to Italy ...

On August 25, 1212, exhausted German children ended up on the Genoese coast - they were waiting for the sea to part. They were promised this, but - alas - did not come true. And then - what a strange coincidence! - Nicholas disappeared. The ruler of Genoa hurried to drive the uncontrollable crowd out of his city - only he lacked these German beggars!

The children scattered all over. Only a few of them reached the city of Brindisi. The sight of the ragged and hungry children turned out to be so pathetic that the local authorities, led by the bishop, opposed the continuation of the campaign. The children had to return home. The return journey destroyed almost the entire remnant of this children's army. The corpses of children lay along the roads for a long time - no one thought to bury them ...

Some of the boys - apparently the most stubborn - went from Brindisi to Rome: to ask the pope to release them from the vow of the cross. And Innocent III had mercy: he gave a reprieve until adulthood ...

Both the French and German children's crusades are clearly cut from the same script. Who is the author of this "custom production"? Of course, no one will name names and surnames now, and it is not necessary: ​​it is clear that everything happened with the tacit consent of the pope. All the Crusades were carried out at the behest of the head of the Roman Catholic Church, who was interested in spreading Catholicism as widely as possible. This one for kids was no exception. It is clear that the gullibility of naive boys and girls was simply taken advantage of. Even their leaders - both Etienne and Nicholas - most likely were only weak-willed puppets in capable hands. It seems that they themselves sincerely believed in their chosenness. They believed that all the trials that befell the young crusaders were not in vain. They went to liberate the Holy City and were ready for suffering: if Jesus suffered, then why shouldn't they drink the cup of sorrows to the bottom? After all, later - in the Kingdom of God - they will be forgiven for all their sins and finally happiness will come ...