On this day, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrest of the Templar Grand Master Jacques de Molay along with scores of other French Templars. Founded in 1118 to defend pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem, the Knights Templar had often served as the advance shock troops in key battles of the Crusades and, through a mix of donations and business dealings, they had successfully established financial networks across the whole of Christendom. When criminal charges were brought against the Templars, King Philip, who was heavily indebted to the Templars, seized the opportunity to put an end to his problems by accusing the Templars of numerous offences from worshipping idols to financial corruption. Tortured into confession, many knights were burnt at the stake while others were simply absorbed into other Catholic military orders or pensioned off.
