Birth of the Crusades – GCSE History Eduqas Revision

The Birth of the Crusades

Contextual Background

Urban II, Pope from 1088-1099, was a leading figure in initiating the First Crusade which marked the inception of the Crusades as a historical period.
Prior to the Crusades, the Muslim Seljuk Turks had made advancements into Byzantine territory and restricted Christian access to the Holy Land.
The Byzantine emperor, Alexios I Komnenos, appealed to the Pope for military aid against the Turks, providing a direct catalyst for the First Crusade.

Urban II made a publicly influential speech at the Council of Clermont in 1095 urging Western Christendom to assist the Byzantines and to ensure Christian control of the Holy Land.
He aspired to unite the divided factions of Christendom, both for the protection of the Eastern Church and the liberation of the Holy Land from Muslim control.
He offered the Crusaders remission of sins or indulgences, promising heavenly rewards to those who died during the Crusade.

Before the start of the First Crusade, a popular movement known as the People’s Crusade occurred led by Peter the Hermit.
The participants were mostly lesser nobles and peasants rather than professional soldiers.
The People’s Crusade faced severe losses against the Turks, demonstrating the early organisational and military challenges of the Crusade movement.

The main body of the First Crusade was formally launched in August 1096 from Western Europe.
It was a more organised affair than the People’s Crusade, comprising nobility and trained soldiers.
Despite numerous challenges, including internal discord and harsh conditions, the Crusaders successfully captured Jerusalem in 1099.

Following the success of the First Crusade, several Crusader States were established in the Middle East, acting as Western Christian colonies in Muslim territory.
The First Crusade set a precedent for a series of religious wars, or Crusades, that continued intermittently over the next two centuries.
It triggered a lingering animosity between Christians and Muslims, intensifying socio-religious divisions that have had long-term geopolitical consequences.