The oppressive heat, the full armor, the knights on horseback, lance and shield in hand, waiting for the sound of a horn or the wave of a flag to start the tournament. . This would indicate the start of the jousting event. A form of personal combat to resolve a variety of issues ranging from honor, rank, conflict and/or overall prizes to the winner. These events took place live, they had men fighting with spears on horseback and even hand-to-hand combat with swords and shields. . They were exhilarating events, the sounds, crashes and echoes of swords pounding against their opponents' shields, and the visual impact of spears striking their target and knocking their victims from their horses to the ground. It was the time of the early Middle Ages, when courage and nobility could be felt in the air. In addition to these social events, other strict codes of behavior such as chivalry were held. Chivalry required the knight to be brave in battle, loyal to his lord and fellow warriors, and respectful to women. The Catholic Church also launched approved military campaigns called crusades in the late Middle Ages. In 1095, Pope Urban II proclaimed the First Crusade, with the aim of restoring Christian access to the holy places in Jerusalem; Furthermore, the Crusades affected the stature, position and overall importance of the Church throughout Europe, trade and feudalism. The Christian Crusades had an overwhelming impact on the economy, trade, industry and cultural life in the Middle Ages, keeping Europe in turmoil for almost two centuries. Some historians estimate that the cost of the Crusades took the lives of several million people (between 2,000,000 and 6,000,000)...... middle of paper ...... money for their expeditions of crusade (www.lordsandladies.com). At the end of the Crusades, feudalism also died and eventually disappeared. The Crusades affected all parts of the Middle Ages since their political system, intellectual, common law and loyalty to their leader, in addition they gave birth to heroism, to the medieval devotion of chivalry, this in turn gave rise to medieval romance, the code of courtly love, poetry and literature. While the First Crusade had been successful, acquiring important cities and access to Jerusalem, by the Fourth Crusade it had devolved into a struggle for personal gain. The goal of the Crusades was to gain access to Jerusalem, one of, if not the holiest places on our planet. The life that was lost during the Crusades where staggering and futile violence continues to plague this region, as if the Crusades were present today..