The Crusades
In the early medieval period, the Seljuk Turks were the dominant power in the Middle East. Their influence and empire spread like fire, spreading from India to eastern Anatolia. When the Turks reached the Byzantine Empire, trouble began to spew. The Byzantine Emperor Alexius I asked Pope Urban II for assistance in raising an army, but the Pope had plans to not only defend Byzantine, but reclaim lands captured by Muslims centuries before. What followed were a series of wars from 1096 until the 1400’s that were aimed towards reclaiming holy lands that were in Muslim hands, called the Crusades. Though the Crusades may be disguised as a religious duty, it was more of a campaign for monetary and power gain.
Byzantine Emperor Alexius
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I was seeking help from Pope Urban II because the Seljuk Turks were an imminent threat to the empire, especially after their loss at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071. Emperor Alexius needed the assistance of mercenaries from the West, and he knew the influence the pope had over the people. The emperor also hoped that by asking the pope for help, he would be able to reunite Christianity. The background of this decision can be dated to 1040, when the first major split of Christianity, the Catholic-Orthodox split, occurred. In what was known as the Great Schism, Eastern Orthodox and Western Catholic churches split due to argument over papal power. The Roman Pope claimed he had absolute authority over Eastern Patriarchs, yet they claimed the only authority he had was over Western Christians. The peak of this quarrel occurred when Pope Leo IX and Patriarch Michael I excommunicated one another. After Emperor Alexius I asked for assistance from Pope Urban II, the pope took it a step further. Pope Urban II called to arms Christians to not only drive Muslims back, but also reclaim the holy lands, such as Jerusalem, where he claims many have died to Muslim hands. However, the pope also hoped to establish his power over the emperor for divine rule on earth. He wanted to raise an army bigger than the emperor’s to show the power of the papacy. The pope’s speech, according the document by Baldric of Dol, emphasized how many Christian holy sites were now subject to Muslim ideology, and it was time to regain these holy sites for Christian purposes again. It is evident the pope made false claims in his speech to spark the passion of Christians to join him in his cause. He claimed Muslims were worshipping idols at the Temple of Solomon, which is against Christian and Islamic views. He also emphasized Turks as being violent, when the reality was that Muslims and non- Muslims lived in peace since the political authority was not concerned about religion. The pope sold the Crusades to the people by convincing them it is a beautiful and charitable cause if one dies in a battle for Christianity, so they will be considered martyrs and go to heaven. If the soldiers managed to live, then any spoils or treasure found along the way is theirs for the keeping. Even though the pope’s speech was untruthful in some parts, its use of religious values and pathos was effective in bringing up an army to fulfill the Pope’s cause and establish his authority over kings. Princess Anna Comnena and Nicetas Choniates provided a great deal of narrative of the Crusades, although some aspects of their writings were a bit foggy.
Both figures believed the Crusaders from the west were “barbarians,” but in different perspectives. In her narrative, Princess Anna explains the fervent dispute between the pope and the emperor about who has divine, god-appointed jurisdiction of Christianity on earth, known as the Investiture Controversy. When King Henry IV threatened to exile Pope Gregory VII from his self appointed position, the pope channeled his rage on to the king’s ambassadors by brutally torturing them. Princess Anna believed this dispute between the pope and the emperor was what provoked the Crusades. It is simple to see her distaste for the Crusaders, as she was identifying them as “Franks”, a term used in the Mediterranean. She claims these Franks were “agape for money” and distasteful in battle and religious values. Although Princess Anna’s account was not completely sincere, its importance lies in the fact that a high end figure such as herself voiced an opinion on the Crusaders and the papacy. Nicetas Choniates recalls in his account the sacking of Constantinople during the 4th Crusade. He proceeds by explaining the crimes these “men of God” committed; they claimed they would use the cross to liberate Jerusalem but it was just an excuse to seek out gold and silver. He goes on to talk about how the Muslims of Jerusalem treated the holy site with respect, and left the civilians who were not Muslims to their own lives, in exchange for a small tax. To contrast, he explains the horrifying brutality and how uncompassionate the Crusaders were to the Muslims when they captured Jerusalem. Choniates believed the Westerners disgraced Christianity; that women of sin would sit disrespectfully on the patriarch’s throne and churches were eradicated to gain the precious treasures within the furniture and other holy objects. The Crusades did seem to
widen the gap between Eastern and Western churches because actions committed by the Crusaders were committed for their monetary gain and showed no respect to the church. The best and most concise explanation can be clearly seen in Nicetas’s excerpt. When he described the Crusaders invading Constantinople, he claimed they poured the Blood of Christ on the ground, hurled relics in “defiled” places, and broke the church’s decorations to retrieve the valuable ornaments within them. These actions are unacceptable, whether in the eyes of Western or Eastern Christians, and this sacking of Constantinople arguably finalized the split between Orthodox and Catholic faiths. Nicetas also describes how the Crusaders, who were supposed to go to war following Christian rules, would engage in sexual acts and shed blood unnecessarily. Instead of fighting for Christ, they seemed to fight against him. Instead of fighting in the Muslim occupied Middle East, they were fighting in Orthodox Christian Constantinople. The pope lessened hopes of ever unifying Christianity, as many Christian values were absent during the Crusades. More can be learned from the failures of the Crusades rather than the successes. Even though the Crusades were a subject of monetary gain rather than religious sacrifice, it was not necessarily all in vain. The Orthodox and Catholic churches were not united by the end of the Crusades, yet there were still many positive outcomes. The Crusades introduced Arabian culture and technology to the West, and it sparked the silk and spice trade. Opening trade routes and Middle Eastern culture spreading westward were also precursors to the Renaissance. It is arguable that Europe was in better shape than it had ever been before after the Crusades. However, the same cannot be said for Middle East after the Crusades. Muslims in the Middle East became convinced that Westerners were boorish and uncivilized. These views are arguably held by some until today since sometimes people in the Middle East will refer to Westerners as Crusaders. Citation: • Ochsenwald, William, and Sydney Nettleton Fisher. "The Early Medieval Middle East." In The Middle East: A History, 128-132. Seventh ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. • "Crusades and Crusaders." Crusades. Accessed November 4, 2014. http://www.medievalwarfare.info/crusades.htm. • "Anna Comnena: The Alexiad (c. 1148 CE)." Anna Comnena: The Alexiad (c. 1148 CE). Accessed November 5, 2014. http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/world_civ/worldcivreader/world_civ_reader_1/comnena.html. • "Great Schism." Great Schism. Accessed November 6, 2014. http://mb-soft.com/believe/txc/gschism.htm.
Foss explains, “What Urban needed was an enterprise, clearly virtuous in serving the ends of Christiandome… in these moments of reflection, the popes mind turned towards Jerusalem.” Urban II reflects back on the first taking of the Holy City after the defeat of the Byzantine Empire in 1071, and begins to question what his people know about the Turkish race and really the ideology of Islamic thought. Foss goes on to examine the ignorance of westerners and needed to be “reminded [by the pope] of the infamous heathens, their cruelty and hatred of Christians,” hoping this would justify the first Holy Crusade. However, Foss identifies the creativity of the Pope’s language to persuade the knights and army of the people to embark on the Holy Crusade based on the Muslims cruel actions turned onto their fellow Christians. Claiming the Muslims “Killed captives by torture…poor captives were whipped…and others were bound to the post and used as a target for arrows.” Foss examines the Popes words as an effective effort of persuasion in creating an army of crusaders to help clean “…Holy places, which are now treated with ignominy and polluted with Filthiness” and any sacrifice in Jerusalem is a “promise of a spiritual reward… and death for
Historian Arnold J. Toynbee said, “Sooner of later, man has always had to decide whether he worships his own power or the power of God.” In regards to the Crusades, the popes in charge chose to worship their own power – yet they got thousands of Europeans to worship the power of God. The Crusades were a series of campaigns in which Europeans tried to take the Holy Land from the Muslims. Pope Urban II headed the First Crusade, which lasted from 1096 to 1099, after he received a request for military aid from Alexios I. Alexios I was the Byzantine ruler, and his empire was facing attacks from the Seljuk Turks. The Crusades soon overtook all aspects of European society, as the promise of salvation and wealth was too great to pass up. 31 years later,
The First Crusade is often cited as one of the most damnable consequences of religious fanaticism. A careful inspection of the circumstances and outcomes, however, will reveal a resultant political restructuring of Europe under the banner of Christendom. The purpose of this investigation is to investigate Pope Urban II’s motives in initiating the First Crusade, with a particular focus on the consolidation of the Western Church’s influence in Europe. Among the primary sources that will be consulted are the letter sent by Patriach Alexios of Constantinople to Urban, and an account of Urban’s speech at Clermont. Relevant excerpts from both of these primary sources, as well as contextual evidence and a wide array of historiography, will be taken
The Crusades took place in the Middle East between 1095 and 1291. They were used to gain a leg up on trading, have more land to show hegemony, and to please the gods. Based upon the documents, the Crusades between 1095 and 1291 were caused primarily by religious devotion rather than by the desire for economic and political gain.
During The First Crusade peasants and knights alike fought for God and glory travelling east towards Jerusalem. In 1099 Christian forces reached Jerusalem and prepared for recapture. The western crusaders attacked the city and gained control of it. During the capture of Jerusalem, the crusading forces massacred not only Muslims, but Jews and even other Christians. Men women and children alike, no one was safe from these crusaders who did what they wanted. They butchered Jerusalem’s inhabitants in the streets, without care of what God might think (which is ironic considering this w...
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.
What is a Crusade? How did a Crusader crusade? What caused him to seek “holy war?” Is a Crusade a Holy War or a Pilgrimage? Did a crusader only leave to find his own economic benefits? What caused the success of the first crusaders? These are some of the many questions that laid before me when I started my research. The crusading movements are such widely debated among the modern historian that they leave many readers confused about what actually caused the crusades, and what a crusade actually entails. In the coming pages I hope to give my reader something to ponder, understand, and acknowledge about it’s origins, and eventually lead my reader into the first crusading movement. Thus, the argument I intend to make examines the events in previous centuries, and the culmination of political and moral changes, as well as economic ones that occurred before Urban’s call for crusade. We will explore Feudalism, it’s war-centric society and how this caused Urban (as well as some Popes and religious figures before him) to seek a peaceable solution that would ensure safety for the clergy, the peasant, and the non-violent. Furthermore, Pope Urban sought to continue Pope Gregory's (and Cluniac) reform to solidify Papal authority over Christendom, and respond to years of Muslim raids along the Mediterranean and upper Italian Coastlines that threatened Italian unity. In effect, the first crusading movement represented and embodied the European culture, society, and ideologies of the time.
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.
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
The First Crusade from 1095 to 1099 has been seen as a successful crusade. The First Crusaders carefully planned out their attacks to help promote religion throughout the lands. As the First Crusade set the example of what a successful crusade should do, the following crusades failed to maintain control of the Holy Land. Crusades following after the First Crusade weren’t as fortunate with maintaining the Holy Land due united forces of Muslims, lack of organization, and lack of religious focus.
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.
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 ...
...rs rightfully thought belonged to them. For this reason the fighting of the First Crusade can be viewed as the war that started all Christian Religious wars or Crusaders that followed. It ended as a time changing journey that changed the Byzantine Empire and the reasons wars were fought. The First Crusade made it possible to start wars with anyone for their religion throughout Europe across the Mediterranean to Asia, on to Africa, and other surrounding areas. The advances of the Crusaders can be seen as admirable and condoned in the eyes of God, who was the only entity that Crusaders deemed worth possessing the power to judge them.
In 1095, Jerusalem was a flourishing city that was the main powerhouse for three religions; all three religions wanted complete control over the holy land. These three religions were Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, and all three religions were known to use Jerusalem as a place of religious reasons. But in turn, the best part about Jerusalem was the political power it held. Pope Urban’s demand for power and Jewish Israel’s desire to control Palestinians are the factors in the political conflict over the holy land.
In 1095, the conflict between the Christians and the Muslims started a crusade (a military campaign in defense of Christianity) for the battle of Jerusalem. This crusade involved people of other religions besides Christianity such as the Jews but they did not play a major role during this time. The Crusades lasted almost two decades and consisted of eight different crusades. With all of the events and actions that took during the Crusades, it led too many effects throughout years. There were short term effects and long term effects from the crusades that effected people of all different cultures. Two places which have had many effects from the Crusades are Europe and Islam. The Crusades has had short term and long term effects on power, economic and classical knowledge throughout Europe and Islam.