How Did The Church Influence The Crusades

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Throughout history, the Crusades have been characterized as lucrative, but also a disillusionment to many due to the increased religious tensions and the weakening powers of the nobility. Yet, the Crusades must also be credited for the expansion of trade among merchants and the spread of great attributes to technology and education to Europe. The initial intent of the Crusades was to bring religious authority and economic impact, but resulted in the division of the Church, while also advancing the Europeans from cultural diffusion through trade. Instead of Christianity securing the Holy Land, the Crusades were a detriment to the Pope’s and the Church’s influence.
The First Crusade was initiated by Pope Urban II, as a retaliation of Byzantine emperor Alexius Comnenus’ plea for help. The Pope had gathered an army of …show more content…

The Pope’s ultimate aspirations were to increase his power in Europe, uniting the people under war, and attempting to reconvene the Eastern and Western Churches. Fortunately for the Pope, his proposition had worked, accomplishing his goals in the first crusade. The people were wholesomely united under faith, fighting till their last breaths together to spite the other side. However, this victory did not last for long. Although the Christians had gained control of the Holy Land, Jerusalem, in the First Crusade, they were defeated in a continuous string of events throughout the 200 years of the Crusades. The Christians had no efficient military tactics to overpower the Muslims, relying on Christians with the false promise that fighting in the Crusades would result in their ascension to heaven. As opposed to the Christian, the Muslims were profusely triumphant in the following

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