THE FIRST CRUSADE

At 1155 king of Sweden Erik IX went with English Bishop Henry to Turku with an army. 

There were christians there. Henry wanted to find a church. The people were baptised at Kupittaa well. Roman Catholicism was established in that region what nowadays would be called Varsinais-Suomi. This was the beginning of the Middle Ages in Finland. 

THE SECOND CRUSADE 

 After two centuries from the crusade were not so great times in Finland. The Pope had hoped the Finns would’ve turned to Roman Catholics easily but he was wrong.

The Orthodox teaching was spreading from the east. Finland became the battleground of Orthodox church and Roman Catholic church.

THE THIRD CRUSADE

Many christians were already in the Orthodox church but Sweden and Romans didn’t like it. The third crusade started from this. The Swedes began the third crusade in Karelia(Karjala). The leader of the crusade was Thorkil Knutsson, who ordered that they should build a castle in Viipuri. The battle between Novgorod and Sweden harmed Karelia, and the trade market between the Baltic sea. The battle raged, until German merchants made a peace between the two sides.