Essay On The Crusades

694 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The impact of crusades on western europe

“The word ‘Crusade’ is used very loosely nowadays to indicate a public display of enthusiastic support for almost any cause” (Roberts, 148). The European Crusades were fought to free the Christian holy lands in Syria and Palestine from Islamic control. Tens of thousands engaged in the Crusade to receive the spiritual benefits promised by the Church. The benefits included spending less time in Purgatory and you were called a martyr if you died on a Crusade (which was an honorable title in the Middle Ages). The Crusades were originally created by Pope Urban II who wanted to start an expedition to aid the Byzantine Empire. He announced his plans for the expedition, or crusade, at a council in Piacenza and discussed his plans with Adhemar of Le Puy and Raymond of St. Gilles, both of which he wanted to serve as leaders on the Crusade. The first crusade was just the beginning of a series of crusades to permanently secure the Holy lands from the Islamic leaders in Syria and Palestine. These Crusades helped give Christianity a militant and violent side as well as shape Europe’s history.
Before the first crusade was officially launched, there were many bands of unofficial “People’s Crusades” marching towards the holy land from all over Europe. One of the famous leaders in these Crusades was the priest Peter the Hermit. He had been planning a crusade long before Pope Urban II had announced his plans in Piacenza. At its height, Peter’s crusade consisted of 20,000 men marching across rugged terrain to reach the Holy land. This was soon put to a stop on the Bosphorous Strait when Turkish forces annihilated the petty army. Many more of these crusades followed in Peter’s footsteps only to meet a similar fate.
The First Crusade was the mo...

... middle of paper ...

...lict between the two sides of the Christian Church. The first three crusades also helped to give the “temper” of western Christianity. The Crusades gave Christianity a true militant tone and aggressiveness, made missionary work more ruthlessly and potent when reinforced with technological superiority, and they also laid the groundwork for future campaigns.
All in all, the Crusades helped shape Europe’s history with the growth and spread of new religious institution and the military order of knighthood. They helped support other crusades against non-christian groups, such as the Slavs or Prussians, and against heretics. The crusades caused people to take religious vows into religious orders. Some of these orders became very rich, one example being the Knights Templar. “It [the Crusades] was the most explicit crystallization of militant Christianity” (Roberts, 151).

Show More
Related

  • Violence in The Crusades

    614 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Crusades were a bloody time period. They were a military campaign by the pope and the Roman Catholic Church to take back Jerusalem from the Muslims. They lasted from the 11th- 13th century. They were catastrophic and left Europe in ruins. Although the Crusades were such a violent period of time, they had a positive impact in history because of their role in the renaissance and exposing the Western world to the Eastern.

    Read More

  • Reform and Renewal

    805 Words  | 2 Pages

    The First Crusade was called in 1096 by Pope Urban II. The reasons for the First Crusade was to help obtain Jerusalem known as the holy land. During this time period the Muslims were occupying Jerusalem. First Crusade contained peasants and knights’ whose ethnicities consist of Franks, Latin’s, and Celts which were all from the western part of Europe. To get peasants and knights to join Pope Urban II objectives in return of a spiritual reward called “remission of all their sins” which was to be redeemed of any sins the individual has committed. When sins are redeemed Crusaders believed that they will escape the torment of hell. When lords and knights joined the crusade they were known as military elites. Crusaders were known as soldiers of Christ.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of The Crusades

    3529 Words  | 8 Pages

    The eminent historian Jonathan Riley-Smith defines ‘crusade’ as “holy war fought against those perceived to be the external or internal foes of Christendom for the recovery of Christian property”. This would suggest that the Crusades were primarily an endeavour intended to promote Christian expansionism through the acquisition of both territory and religious converts. However the Crusades can also be interpreted as a means for independent Christian rulers to demonstrate their piety, amass wealth through loot and enhance their prestige; all of which would be beneficial to the rule of their own territories. In addition to this, the Crusades were intended as a defensive measure in

    Read More

  • The Crusades Argumentative Essay

    1075 Words  | 3 Pages

    Among some of the largest conflicts in the world stand the Crusades; a brutal conflict that lasted over 200 years and was debatably one of the largest armed religious conflicts in the history of humankind. Since this is so clearly an event of importance, historians have searched vigorously for the true answer as to why the crusades began. Ultimately, because of accusatory views on both the sides of the Christians and of the Muslims, the two groups grew in such hatred of each other that they began to act in deep discrimination of each other. Moreover, Christian motives seemed to be driven mostly by the capture of Jerusalem, the dark ages of Europe and the common-folks desperation for land, wealth, and a spot in heaven. What seems to be continually

    Read More

  • Pope Urban II and The Crusade

    1358 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Crusades were the first tactical mission by Western Christianity in order to recapture the Muslim conquered Holy Lands. Several people have been accredited with the launch of the crusades including Peter the Hermit however it is now understood that this responsibility rested primarily with Pope Urban II . The main goal of the Crusades was the results of an appeal from Alexius II, who had pleaded for Western Volunteers help with the prevention of any further invasions. The Pope’s actions are viewed as him answering the pleas of help of another in need, fulfilling his Christian right. However, from reading the documents it is apparent that Pope Urban had ulterior motives for encouraging engagement in the war against the Turks. The documents and supporting arguments now highlight that the Pope not only sought to recruit soldiers to help but also to challenge those who had harmed the Christians community and annihilate the Muslims. He put forth the idea that failure to recapture this lands would anger God and that by participating, God would redeem them of their previous sins.in a time of deep devoutness, it is clear this would have been a huge enticement for men to engage in the battle. Whether his motives were clear or not to his people, Pope Urban’s speeches claiming that “Deus vult!” (God wills it) encouraged many Christians to participate and take the cross.

    Read More

  • The Crusades: Really a Holy War?

    909 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Crusades were one of the most prominent events in Western European history; they were not discrete and unimportant pilgrimages, but a continuous stream of marching Western armies (Crusaders) into the Muslim world, terminating in the creation and eventually the fall of the Islamic Kingdoms. The Crusades were a Holy War of Roman Christianity against Islam, but was it really a “holy war” or was it Western Europe fighting for more land and power? Through Pope Urban II and the Roman Catholic Church’s actions, their proposed motivations seem unclear, and even unchristian. Prior to the Crusades, Urban encouraged that Western Europe fight for their religion but throughout the crusades the real motivations shone though; the Crusaders were power hungry, land coveting people who fought with non Christian ideals and Morales.

    Read More

  • First Crusade: The First Crusade

    1510 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1095, Pope Urban II called the first crusade. Happening between 1096 and 1099, the first crusade was both a military expedition and a mass movement of people with the simple goal of reclaiming the Holy Lands taken by the Muslims in their conquests of the Levant. The crusade ended with the capture of Jerusalem in July 1099. However, there has been much debate about whether the First Crusade can be considered an ‘armed pilgrimage’ or whether it has to be considered as a holy war. This view is complicated due to the ways in which the Crusade was presented and how the penitential nature of it changed throughout the course of the Crusade.

    Read More

  • The Crusades

    904 Words  | 2 Pages

    A main cause of the Crusades was the treatment of Christian pilgrims. They were robbed, beaten, and then sold. The main group of Turks, the Seljuk Turks, were threatening and growing in power. The Byzantine Emperor, Alexus I, began to become worried and sent out an urgent plea to Pope Urban II, in Rome. He requested for Christian knights to help him fight the Turks. Pope Urban II did agree to his appeal although Byzantine Emperors and Roman Popes were longtime rivals. He also did agree with Alexus I, in fearing that the Turks were expanding. Pope Urban encouraged French and German Bishops and Nobles to also take part in this. “ An accused race has violently invaded the lands of those Christians and had depopulated them by pillage and fire.” This is when Pope Urban II called for a crusade to free the Holy Land. Urban did agree to this having some of his own motives in mind. He was hoping his power would grow in ...

    Read More

  • The Crusades: Short Term and Long Term Effects

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    In order for the crusades to begin, the Christians needed to gather an army to travel and fight the forces of Muslims. With all the power being held by monarchies at this time, the church needed to be cleaver in order to gain troops to put their lives on the line. To gain the support of these warriors and dedication of men, Pope Urban II (1088-1099) challenged those morals of men by telling them to grab their weapons and join the holy war to recover the land of Jerusalem. It was not the challenge that convinced men to take part in this war. The promise of “immediate remission of sins” attracted the men to stand up for their religion and beliefs while at the same time, promising them a trip to heaven when life comes to an end. With this statement, men instantly prepared for battle which in a very short period of time gave the church power which has been held by the monarchies. Men of rich and poor prepared for battle, some wearing ...

    Read More

  • The First Crusade and the Ideas of Crusading

    2006 Words  | 5 Pages

    Contrary to many commonly held notions about the first crusade, in his book, The First Crusade and the Idea of Crusading, Jonathan Riley-Smith sets out to explain how the idea of crusading thought evolved in the first crusade. In his book, Riley-Smith sets out five main arguments to show how these ideas of crusading evolved. Firstly, he argues that Pope Urban’s original message was conventional, secondly that a more positive reaction was drawn from the laity (due to the ideas surrounding Jerusalem), thirdly, that the original message of crusading had changed because of the horrible experiences of the first crusaders, fourth, that due to these experiences the crusaders developed their own concept of what a crusade was, and lastly, that these ideas were refined by (religious) writers and turned into an acceptable form of theology. Riley-Smith makes excellent points about the crusade; however, before one can delve directly into his argument, one must first understand the background surrounding the rise of the first crusade.

    Read More

  • How the Crusades Changed Society

    1085 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the year 1095 the First Crusade was just beginning. Pope Urban II called Christians to liberate the Holy Land from Muslim oppressors. He promised indulgences and the gift of eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven for fighting in the holy war. Those that answered the call were peasants, beggars, the poor looking for riches and the unknown looking for glory. What started out as a pilgrimage to help fellow Christians secure their borders and repel foreign invaders soon became the first of many Holy Wars for the Kingdom of God.

    Read More

  • Timeline of Wars and Reasons for Wars

    2075 Words  | 5 Pages

    The emperor of the Byzantine Emperor was upset with Turks encroaching on his empire. He went to the Pope Urban II and complained. He made up atrocities about the Turks. In 1096, The Pope Urban II promoted the Crusade to reclaim the Holy Land from the barbaric Turks. These crusades lasted till the 13th century. In the process, Jews were persecuted and lots of looting took place. Many countries took interest in the Crusades because they were ready for travel and adventure. They wanted to expand trade with the Middle and Far East and so the Crusades gave them a chance to open up trade routes with those countries. They used Christianity to justify the Crusades. In reality, they wanted to expand trade and gain more territorial land.

    Read More

  • The First Four Crusades in the Middle Ages

    907 Words  | 2 Pages

    The crusades in the middle ages were a long-lasting series of vigorous wars between Christians and Muslims over the Holy Land, Jerusalem. The crusades lasted for almost two hundred years. They began in 1099 and approximately ended in 1291. (What were the motives, and causes of these gruesome wars?) is the first question one might ask. To properly answer this question, I am about to analyze the first four crusades that had began in 1099 and ended in 1212.

    Read More

  • The Crusades and Their Benefits to the Church

    1051 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Crusades were the type of person who demanded many things, if not everything. They used their power and the backing of the Catholic Church to advance their movements and take control of cities. Many may believe the Crusades were mean, dangerous people who did not care about others and only wanted control. This, however, was only one view and many do not see how the Crusades benefited the church, help unite its members, and enabled the church to evolve in certain areas.

    Read More

  • The Causes and Effects of the Crusades

    639 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Crusades were great military missions embarked on by the Christian nations of Europe for the purpose of rescuing the Jerusalem and the Holy Land from the hands of the Moslems. The Crusades were considered Holy Wars (1). Their main target was the Moslems not the Jews, although campaigns were also waged against pagan Slavs, Jews, Russian and Greek orthodox Christians, Mongols, Cathars, Hussites, Waldensians Old Prussians, and political enemies of the popes (2). There were many Crusades some more significant than others, but in general the Crusades was an important event in the history of Medieval Europe.

    Read More

More about Essay On The Crusades

Open Document