Eighty thousand children under the age of twelve left for the Holy Lands and never returned. The Children's Crusade, in 1212 AD, took place in the middle of the Fourth and Fifth Crusades, as the spirit of the Crusade was weakening. A French crusade and a German crusade formed the Children's Crusade (Alchin). The French crusade was led by Étienne de Cloyes, a shepherd who could neither read nor write. Stephen of Cloyes called the children to action by calling them in the name of Jesus. However, the German Children's Crusade did not consist of children alone. The Germans were led by a young boy named Nicholas. Nicholas led fifty thousand people: religious men, single women and young children. The plan was to walk to Vendom, then board a ship and sail to Mariseilles, and walk to the Holy Land (Trueman). Both of these crusades were fueled by the children's faith in God, neither money nor glory mattered (Alchin). Compared to other crusades, the Children's Crusade remained a determined attempt to save the Holy Land. Getting rid of aggressive knights, earning money, and becoming famous were goals that spurred every crusade. However, the Children's Crusade had only the desire to save the Holy Land (Beck et al. 346-344). The children chanted “Lord God, exalt Christianity.” Lord God, restore to us the true cross” (Alchin). The true faith of these children is evident. Through singing, children place their lives in the hands of God. The children involved in the Children's Crusade never returned; they gained no fame. The children were not kings, nobles, or knights, so they had no support. As powerful rulers, kings, nobles, and knights were able to gain the support of the Church and the people, a feat that children were unable to achieve. The Children... middle of paper ... the other five were sold into slavery in Africa where white child slaves were worth a lot (Trueman). The Children's Crusade needlessly ended the lives of many people. Even if they had no reason other than to return to Jerusalem, it was a lost cause. Étienne de Cloyes and Nicolas, even though they had a true goal, only caused more pain and heartbreak. The children left their families behind, “which they did despite the wishes of their parents, relatives and friends who sought to force them back” (Halsall). Some parents encouraged their children to go, but at the same time, even more parents tried to keep their children around (Halsall). The Pope himself stopped Nicholas's crusade and told them to go home (Trueman). Although the crusade failed and the children were never heard from again, England was once again reminded of the importance of the Holy Land (Trueman).