Crusaders

The Crusaders were a group of fighters who set out to restore Christian dominance in the countries, which had been taken by the Islamic ethnic groups in the Middle East. The Crusaders were dominant in their times, and captured and ruled over a major area in the Middle East and Asia Minor. Lebanon was part of the first Crusade campaign.

The advent of the Crusaders came in the middle ages. The Crusaders' army was intent on replenishing Christian dominance in the Middle East and surrounding area. Their main target at first was the city with great religious significance, Jerusalem. Their route to Jerusalem passed through Lebanon, and thus Lebanon became involved with the Crusaders.

The Crusaders established control of Lebanon, as it strategic location made it a perfect base for their forays into other areas where they wanted to restore Islamic control. Using Lebanon as a base, the Crusader troops marched to different direction towards different cities, while keeping Lebanon as the central location for supplies.

The Crusaders control in Lebanon was thus established, but lost due to the rise of other powers. Initially putting up a brave resistance, Lebanon usually succumbed to the control of the Crusaders, but their power was to be short-lived. Internal conflicts and rise of other races like the Mamlukes brought about the downfall of the Crusaders, but the short association with Lebanon left its imprint on the country.