It has been almost 1000 years and people still whisper about the things that happened during the Crusades. The core meaning of how it actually started has been long forgotten, which has left people questioning whether the cause of it was because of political and economic gain, or religious devotion. Economic and political reasons were most likely the causes of the Crusades.
The Crusades lasted about 200 years and were a series of military campaigns that occurred between the 11th and 13th centuries. The Crusades were comprised of many hundred thousand inexperienced soldiers called upon by the pope who wish that they could rid themselves of their sins. The original purpose of the Crusades was to win back Jerusalem under the command of Emperor
…show more content…
Written by his daughter, Emperor Alexius was preparing part of his army under the Latins: “The Emperor sent for Bohemund and requested him [Bohemund] to take the customary oath of the Latins.” The Crusades were also a time when the Emperor could strengthen or build more alliances with neighboring kingdoms as displayed. During the recruiting period of the Crusades, Emperor Alexius had formed a sort of Alliance with the Latins to help in his Crusades and maybe help him in the future. The Crusades also provided an opportunity for European nobles to expand their lands.The Crusades covered multiple expanses of land and past through many cities like Edessa, which gave people like Baldwin a chance to take their own lands. More land also meant more tax/revenue which allows for economic …show more content…
The Byzantine Emperor Alexius had called upon Pope Urban II because he wanted back Jerusalem for all the power involved. The Crusades were not called upon by the Pope. They were requested by Emperor Alexius who wanted to take back Jerusalem. If it was because of religious reasons, then the Pope would have started it because religion plays a bigger role in the Pope than the Emperor. But, this was not the case. Pope Urban then called upon many Christian followers and said that God was beckoning them to go on the Crusades to take back the holy city of Jerusalem. The Pope recruited people by using reason of religion to convince people to go for the Emperor because religion just played as a recruiting factor since Christianity was already a widespread