What is la croisade?

La Croisade, which translates to "The Crusade" in English, was a military campaign undertaken by European Christians in the Middle Ages to take control of Jerusalem and other holy sites in the Holy Land from Muslim rulers. The Crusades started in 1096 and continued for several centuries. The Pope called for the Crusades in response to Muslim expansion and aggression against Christians in the Near East. Many European knights and soldiers traveled to the Holy Land to fight in these wars, with the most famous being the First Crusade led by King Richard the Lionheart. Despite some victories, the Christians were ultimately unsuccessful in taking control of the Holy Land and the Crusades ended in failure. The legacy of the Crusades remains controversial, with some historians viewing it as a barbaric and violent movement that resulted in the deaths of thousands of people.