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The Black Cross
A History of the Baltic Crusades
Brief Description
A wide-ranging new history of the Baltic Crusades and their legacy Between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries, crusading armies unleashed a relentless holy war against the last pagan societies in northern Europe, particularly in the Baltic Sea region. Led by Catholic rulers, churchmen, and, most importantly...
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The Black Cross
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Description
A wide-ranging new history of the Baltic Crusades and their legacy
Between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries, crusading armies unleashed a relentless holy war against the last pagan societies in northern Europe, particularly in the Baltic Sea region. Led by Catholic rulers, churchmen, and, most importantly of all, the warrior monks of the Teutonic Order, they sought to expand Christendom through conquest and conversion. In the process, they forged a new world with a profound legacy that resonates into the present.
Aleksander Pluskowski traces the broader story of the Baltic Crusades in The Black Cross. Pluskowski explores how the construction of castles and towns and the introduction of new languages, technology, monetary economies, and religion transformed the conquered societies. Moving through the years, we see how the history of the crusades was reinvented in the twentieth century to serve nationalist aims, including those of the Third Reich. This is a fascinating study that provides a fresh look at the impact of centuries of religious warfare across northern Europe.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780300279061
Publisher: Yale University Press
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 27 January 2026
Country: United States
Imprint: Yale University Press
Illustration: 25 b-w illus. + 7 maps
Audience: Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Width: 152.0mm
Height: 235.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 480
About the Author
Aleksander Pluskowski is professor of medieval archaeology at the University of Reading. An expert in the archaeology and history of the Baltic, he is the author of The Archaeology of the Prussian Crusade: Holy War and Colonisation and The Teutonic Knights.
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