First Crusades Dbq Essay

The First Crusade was a result of several reasons-politics, territory, knowledge, etc. It was even said to have begun simply to distract western Europe from fighting amongst themselves. However, the First Crusades was a totally unexpected campaign stirred mostly by religious fervor. People of multiple ethnicities randomly banded together and decided to quit their lives to fight a war from which many were fully aware they might not have returned from, because of their religious devotion.

In 905, the Seljuk tribe of Turkish nomads began traveling west conquering lands as they passed. These invasions caused a period of unrest and instability in the Middle East. Besides negatively affecting the inhabitants of the land, the Christians already accustomed to frequently making pilgrimages to Jerusalem and other cities, were suddenly barred from doing so. Whereas the previous Muslim rulers of the region were quite tolerant of these pilgrimages, the Seljuk harassed and persecuted many of the Christian visitors.

In response to the Turkish invasions Emperor Alexius I of Constantinople reached out to Pope Urban II in Romer requesting assistance.

In 1095, in his famous speech, Pope Urban convinced thousands to join forces and combat the Muslim invasion and to aid the Byzantine Empire. Interestingly, although Pope Urban’s forces did help the Byzantine army some historians believe it was likely the pope had an ulterior motive to lending his hand. It’s possible the Pope had already entertained the idea of rousing his military men to go and fight the Muslims to regain control of Jerusalem and the holy land, which many, at the time, believed was rightfully theirs, given by God himself. Therefore, Emperor Alexius’s summon arrived at just the right

moment.
Pope Urban traveled across most of Europe, preaching to large audiences. With the promise of “…immediate remission of sins,” and the belief it was God’s will response to his request was immediate and wide-scaled. News of his words spread and people everywhere-from England, Spain, Germany- agreed to join the crusade.
Because the first crusade was so unexpected it was met with a rocky result. IN 1096, in small assemblies, gradually multiplying in size, the crusaders began making their way towards Constantinople. Many did not survive the journey, though; Some became lost, others distracted. The rest died of starvation or in battle or were sold into slavery. Once the crusaders arrived in Constantinople, Alexius ordered the group to attack the captured city, Nicaea. After Nicaea was recaptured all further commands given by Emperor Alexius were disregarded because by then the warriors had set off for the ultimate prize, Jerusalem.
In 1099, the crusaders reached Jerusalem with an army, once 40,000 strong, consisting of 12,000 cavalries and 12,000-foot soldiers. Despite considerable losses the Christians succeeded in capturing Jerusalem. Afterwards, many Muslim and Jewish worshippers were slaughtered as punishment for their sins against God. The crusaders success was mostly since there was a growing division within the Muslim community that began with the conversion of other tribes to Islam. Professor of Islamic history, Carole Hillenbrand, explained that “…there were no strong Muslim leadership in territories that were later targeted by the First Crusade.” No matter how outnumbered they were, the Christian crusaders believed their victory a miracle due to God’s intervention.
Crusading was an expensive venture; many were forced to sell their possessions, including land, or take loans from moneylenders. Furthermore, it was a dangerous expedition. As stated before, many would fall from starvation, in battle, or be sold into slavery. So, what motivated so many to risk their lives? It was multiple reasons. Some wished to travel, others went in search of land and knowledge. However, the biggest incentive was religious devotion. As Pope Urban said in his speech “Let those who…have been robbers, now become knights.”