HS2O13: The Crusades, 1095-1291

Module code: HS2O13

Module provider: History; School of Humanities

Credits: 20

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Professor Rebecca Rist, email: r.a.c.rist@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

Part 2 Options can be either chronological or thematic. Chronological Options will usually take the form of a survey of a particular geographical area or nation over a defined period of one or two centuries. These Options aim to acquaint students with the causes and consequences of continuity and change over the long term in the political, social, economic and cultural systems under study. 

This module will: 

• Survey the history of the ‘golden age’ of crusading (1095-1291); 
• Reflect on crusaders, the crusades and the crusader states within their historical context; and 
• Consider how historians have understood the crusades and crusading. 

The purpose of the module is to develop a sophisticated understanding on the religious, political, social and economic reasons for the crusades, and an appreciation of the historiography of crusading.    

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Have a detailed knowledge of the events through extensive reading in specialised literature
2. Appraise critically the primary sources and historiographical interpretations of the subject
3. Organise material and articulate arguments effectively in writing
4. Have developed their oral communication skills

Module content

The period 1095-1291 marked the ‘golden age’ of the crusades. This module will consider the growth of the idea of crusading in the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth centuries from the call of Pope Urban II for the First Crusade in 1095 to the Fall of Acre in 1291. The course will include seminars on key topics such as the First Crusade, the Crusader States, crusading in Spain and the Baltic and the Albigensian Crusades. Seminars will explore different aspects of crusading including papal authorization, the evolution of the crusade indulgence, the preaching of crusades, the crusade vow, the recruitment and financing of crusades, the growth of the Military Orders, and the development of crusades against heretics and political enemies of the papacy. The seminars will present important medieval texts in translation including chronicles, charters, papal correspondence, sermons, poetry and songs. There will also be discussion of recent crusade historiography and the depiction of crusades in literature and film.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching and learning will be by a variety of methods, which may include:

• Lectures;
• Seminars, which rely on structured group discussion and may also include seminar papers by students, discussion of evidence, team-based exercises, and debates;
• Online exercises, including quizzes and worksheets;
• Discussion boards; and
• Independent study.

Study hours

At least 33 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

1,000 words or 2 pages of A4 maximum to include, at the module convenor’s discretion, an essay plan, bibliography, book review or other preparatory work toward the summary essay.

Reassessment

Additional costs