What+were+the+Crusades?

The Crusades were a series of holy wars waged by Christians against the Muslims. There were a total of 9 crusades, and all of them were fought in the name of God. Many people fought﻿ in the Crusades to gain wealth, fame, adventure, and to escape troubles in their home lives. The first Crusade started in 1095 at the Council of Clermont and it was declared by Pope Urban II. After the first crusade, four crusader states were created. These crusader states were Edessa, Antioch, Tripoli, and Jerusalem. Many people think that since the crusades are holy wars, they aren't as brutal as regular wars, but these Crusades were actually about the same, and in some cases, they were worse. Knights were granted permission to pretty much do whatever they wanted while on a Crusade, and they used this to loot, rape, and murder when they arrived in Spain and the Middle East. Although some of the Crusades had very religious inspirations, some were just fought for treasure, land, and fame. media type="youtube" key="llToMMeOLnc" height="390" width="480" align="center"
 * __What were the Crusades? __**