Theatres of War: Crusade, Colonialism and Chivalry in the Middle Ages

Were the Crusades an early example of European colonialism? What value did the crusading frontier hold for the knights who fought to defend it? What was the relationship between the Crusades and the knightly culture of chivalry? To answer these questions requires a new approach to the Crusades, one focused as much on cultural production as military encounter.
In this lecture, we explore the nexus between three powerful forces that shaped the medieval world: holy war, knighthood, and the expansion of Europe.
In partnership with the Fulbright Commission
A lecture by Nicholas Paul
The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website:
www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and...
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[@ashleighjoanne6368]

Fascinating lecture. Thank you so much!

[@kristJ25]

Saw him aka the presenter on George Galloway glad I did because I love history

[@ronrice1931]

"More often than not, those who look to the Middle Ages to justify the intolerances of today find only a mirror, which reflects back our own troubled image." Amen to that.

[@emmcee662]

I enjoyed this talk - interesting analysis of sources relating to the “chivalry” of crusading

[@bim-ska-la-bim4433]

Great overview - really enjoyed it

[@MtheRat]

Enjoyable lecture, well explained and interesting.

[@dirkdiamondify]

Hmmm..... appearing to refer here to the little known Encyclopedist 'Diderot d'Alembert' as one person. That's odd. Don't you mean Denis Diderot (the Encyclopedist, probably responsible for this entry) AND d'Alembert (the Mathematician), his collaborator???

[@Edderidion]

The same slide proves you right. In the photo of the cover it says something like: "organized and published by Mr. Diderot and, as for the mathematical part, by Mr. d'Alembert."

[@WouterDemyttenaere]

Crusading as a forerunner of modern tourism? I can totally see that, but never thought of it in that way. Interesting lecture!

[@RickReasonnz]

Or a forerunner of British tourists being obnoxious everywhere they go. I jest, I jest!

[@stardust5379]

Read Peter Frankopan's 'The Call from the East'. Riley-Smith's 'The First Crusade and the Idea of Crusading'. Usama Ibn Munquidh's 'Kitab al I'tibar'.

[@KNemo1999]

The "so called" reconquista. What would you call it?

[@MtheRat]

This is not always a term of doubt towards the term, but in English is often used to indicate that there is special name for a thing. An example would be "The so called Renaissance" - here, depending on my tone, I could either be indicating that I am critical of the use of the term, or that it was the name given to the period. In this video I think there is nothing critical meant by the usage and that the latter interpretation is valid.

[@historyandhorseplaying7374]

I would say applying the word “colonialism” to anything in the Middle Ages is a huge anachronism....

[@MtheRat]

Why? Not rejecting your idea outright, honestly curious about your reasoning. Seems to me that having a culture implant itself in a new territory and exploiting the native population and resources is pretty colonial, no?

[@historyandhorseplaying7374]

@@MtheRat The term "colonialism" didn't appear until the late 19th century, if not 20th century. So it's a little jarring-- sort of like applying the term to the Hittites in 5,000 BC or something. Anyway, the populations in that part of the Middle East at the time were hardly the native populations, they had only just recently invaded from elsewhere too. It would be like the Russians, while occupying Poland, calling the Germans "colonialists" for invading it too in 1939....

[@MtheRat]

@@historyandhorseplaying7374 I get your idea, but the intent of the Latin states was to establish new lands in foreign parts, whether the local populations were indigenous or not. And there was trade of resources from these places to the proto-metropoles. Also, though the term may be recent-ish, colonies and colonisation had existed since Antiquity, the Greeks and Phoenicians being prime examples in the Mediterranean context.

[@hazelwray4184]

11:08 ... "discerning what relationship, if any" ... "is a daunting task"

[@felicityc]

>individuals setting out on subsidized adventures to far off lands with the intention of setting a permanent settlement whether it is settled or not, by force if necessary yeah not similar at all

[@RickReasonnz]

Feels like this somewhat trivialises the atrocities committed during the crusades, but I suppose this is an interesting take on it.

[@rabeccak2275]

Thank you! A Descendant of King Philip Augustus even though he didn't stay . . .

[@jadger1871]

10:55 ummm.... that's not the flag of the Crusader Kingdom, that's the national flag of Georgia, an orthodox country in the Caucasus. He's stretching to find connections that just don't exist in order to try and make it relevant to today's events.

[@ottovonbismarck4227]

What do you think inspired the Georgian flag?

[@jadger1871]

@@ottovonbismarck4227 why don't you do a quick Google search and find out. Hint: it wasn't the crusades.