Thursday, September 25, 2008
This Day in the History of Crusades Ending in Disaster
On this day in 1396, the last great Christian crusade, led jointly by John the Fearless of Nevers and King Sigismund of Hungary, ended disastrously when the Muslim army of Sultan Bajazet I, an Ottoman army, beat the snot out of the Europeans at Nicopolis in Bulgaria. There would be no future coalitions to help the shrinking remnants of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire and Constantinople would fall within a lifetime of this big defeat. Not a good day for the Christians of Europe.
This painting is of prisoner executions by the Muslims in retaliation for Muslim prisoner execution by the Christians. It seems weirdly familiar.
Labels: Crusade History
Sunday, May 18, 2008
This Day in the History of Inexorable Muslim Reconquest
On this day in 1291, the Mameluk Sultan of Egypt and his son effectively took back the Holy Land when the last significant Christian stronghold of Acre fell to Muslim attack. Although there were Crusades after this, none were to the actual places where Jesus had lived and preached.
Labels: Crusade History
