Difference between Crusader Knights,

Templar knights and the Hospitallers?

sorry its just for my medieval re-enactment group, they don't know so i turned to the experts on
here.

i need to kno a little about each of them such as their time period, and their purpose etc.

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Best Answer: Crusader Knights is a blanket term for all the knights either living in the Crusader
States, or those going on pilgrimage there. (As an aside, the term "crusader" was unknown in the
Middle Ages - people would "take the cross", but call themselves "pilgrims")

The Knights Hospitaller, or the Knights of S:t John, were a monastic order founded in 1099, just
after the conquest of Jerusalem. Their original intent was to run the hospital of S:t John in
Jerusalem, but they soon expanded to providing armed escort to the pilgrimage routes in the area.
Their dedication gave them a formidable reputation as fighters with no equal, and they formed an
elite force in many of the battles during that era. After the fall of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and
Acre in 1291, the knights were homeless, first taking refuge in Cyprus, and then securing a base
on Rhodes. They remained there, fighting the Barbary pirates and the turks on the mainland until
1522, when they were routed by an army of 200,000 men. After a few years looking for a new
base, they found Malta, where they remained until Napoleon conquered the island. The Knights
Hospitaller still have many daughter houses throughout Europe, mostly running hospital services
as opposed to their more militant predecessors.

The Knights Templar were another fighting order, originally founded in 1119 to protect the
pilgrimage routes to Jerusalem, but they quickly became involved in the fighting all around the
Crusader States. Although they too became famed as outstanding fighters, the larger part of the
order did not fight, but helped to maintain the finances and maintenance. The Templars and
Hospitallers apparently felt some rivalry, but their shared goal meant they mostly got along. Due
to donations and providing banking services, they became very wealthy. In the early 14th century,
these riches tempted the French king to falsely accuse them of heresy and treason. Under torture,
some knights confessed to the trumped-up crimes and the order was dissolved. Officially, their
possessions were to go to the Hospitallers, but in practice, most of them were "redistributed". The
survivors either joined other orders, or were allowed to retire. Nothing of the order remains today.