ABSTRACT
A global phenomenon affecting Europe, the Near East, and Africa, the medieval crusades played an important role in shaping French elite and national identities. Contrary to traditional views that the Crusades ended with the fall of Acre in 1291, crusading remained a significant presence in European politics and culture throughout the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. This chapter explores how crusade endured as an ideological and material practice by reviewing French participation in crusades between c. 1300 and 1501. It then synthesizes recent crusade scholarship and highlights key themes shaping French crusade discourses.
