Christianization

The Wendish Crusade, a massive military campaign launched in 1147 AD, was a targeted attempt to forcefully Christianize the pagan Slavs living on the banks of the Elbe River, in what is today Germany. A part of the broader Christian Crusading movement, it is often overshadowed by the more famous expeditions into the Holy Land. But even so, the crusade was a major turning point in European geopolitics, and a catalyst that reshaped the power dynamics in the Baltic region. A major episode of territorial expansion in northern Europe, the crusade was a complex interaction between religion, politics, ruthless military conquest, and ethnic strife. As we examine the Wendish Crusade, we can better appreciate its historical significance. Paganism and Christianity