1212Reputable sourceDebated
The Children's Crusade
On the timeline · around 1212 ·
What happened
In 1212, according to the chronicles, thousands of common people — including many youths — set out from France and Germany, believing that the pure and innocent could recover Jerusalem where armies had failed. They never reached the Holy Land; many turned back, died on the way, or, by some accounts, were sold into slavery.
Why it matters
Whatever its exact truth, the Children's Crusade captures the intense popular religious fervor of the age — and the tragic gulf between the crusading dream and its grim reality.
How we know
The episode is known only from later, sometimes contradictory chronicles, and historians debate how many 'children' were really involved and what became of them.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Children's Crusade · Reputable source