The Children’s Crusade 1212 – Part 1: Stephen of Cloyes
Conflicted: A History Podcast
Stephen’s World in Medieval France
Zach Cornwell sets the scene in 1212 France, introducing Cloyes, its rural society, and the shepherd boy at the story’s center.
In the late spring of 1212, a spontaneous mass movement of 30,000 children arose in medieval France. Led by a 12-year-old shepherd boy named Stephen from the small village of Cloyes, the “Children’s Crusade” swore to march on the Holy Land and peacefully reclaim the city of Jerusalem from Muslim control. In this first episode of a two-part series, we examine the origins of the Children’s Crusade, the historiographical controversy surrounding it, and the enigmatic figure at its center, Stephen of Cloyes.
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