The muslins invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 711 and conquered it in seven years. The Visigoths were mercilessly overpowered and defeated, their remnants pushed back into the north of Spain. These remnants of Christian Spain lay hidden deep in the barren and inhospitable mountains of Asturias and the Umayyad Emirate left them there since this land was neither desirable nor easy to conquer. However, a collapse of united Islamic rule at the start of our period …showed first 75 words of 3508 total…

…showed last 75 words of 3508 total…the call of fighting under the cross could only amplify both the motivation and effect of knights fighting in Christian Spain. Before the start of the twelfth century Christian Spain was a society organised for war; by the thirteenth century - with the comprehensive victory at Las Navas de Tolosa - we can see the devastating effect military effect of a society not only organized for war, but fighting for the glory of their God.