Throughout history, while men were absent fighting the war, women became empowered. It then slowly built up more respect for women and showed that they are more than just pawns in the kitchen. They played crucial roles and contributed many great things on the homefront and the wars themselves during the Crusades and World War II.
Women during the Crusades, such as Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen Blanche of Castile, and Shagrat al-Durr, show not only that they were the role models of their time, but also the butterfly effect they had on the history of the Crusades and of the world. Each of these women stepped up to the plate and took charge when it was needed the most. Women who were Christian and Muslim truly showed how amazing they could be. Eleanor of Aquitaine is arguably the most powerful woman in the times of the Crusades. At the young age of 15, she was married to Louis VII who was the King of France. To aid in the Crusades, she appeared at Vezelay dressed like an Amazonian warrior galloping on her white horses, persuading people to join the Crusades. In her attempt, she gained one thousand fighting vassals. She brought them to the church, and they were very pleased. Along with her vassals, she also brought three hundred women, and together they planned to accompany the men and help by tending to the wounded. Although the women never fought in the battle, they were dressed in armor carrying lances.
After reaching the crusader lands, Louis VII and Eleanor met up with Eleanor's uncle Raymond of Antioch. But Raymond and Louis didn't get along. Raymond's plans were to go to Edessa, while Louis's plans were to go straight to Jerusalem. Eleanor didn't agree with her husband's plan, and insisted on taking part in Raymond's plan. Louis was furious at her decision and forced her to go to Jerusalem with him. Eleanor agreed to go with Louis, but she told him that once they arrived back in Europe, she would arrange a divorce between them.
