The Muslims wage unceasing war against the Christian Byzantine Empire (Eastern Europe)and take Rhodes and Crete (parts of Greece)...
They launch several assaults against Constantinople (the capital of Byzantine Empire) and expand into North Africa and Central Asia...
They conquer Spain in the west, and move into northern India in the east...
They attack all the way into the northern half of France but are finally stopped at the Battle of Tours...
Infighting between arab and non-arab muslims weakens and divides the empire but attacks continue on Christian territory as Sicily is conquered and mainland Italy suffers plundering raids...
Muslim pirates raid the coasts of Italy and the Byzantines beg for help after a major defeat...
THEN the first crusade starts.
Not excusing what was done, but theres a lot of history prior to the first crusade that always seems to be left out.
Yes. I really don’t want to hear about the eeeevil Crusades any more.
Besides all that, why doesn’t anyone question why Moslems thought they could take over Jewish/Christian holy land any way? Apparently it’s a given that Moslems “owned” that little area called Jerusalem, even if they didn’t even exist until late in the game, well after Jews were there.