The Most Significant Motives Of The Four Crusades

At the beginning of the eleventh century, western Europe was deeply divided and rife with conflict and war between states. However, despite the animosity that existed between many of them, they were all connected by their Christian faith and obedience to the papal state. When Pope Urban II declared the First Crusade in 1095, it served as a rallying point for knights and lay people alike to prove their faith and fight for a common cause. There are few other instances of such religious fervor, devotion, and unity to be found among the kingdoms of Europe at this time. Over the course of the Four Crusades and the span of almost two centuries, the people of the West became involved in numerous conflicts with often bloody and violent endings. The

When Pope Urban II declared the First Crusade at Clermont in 1095, he drew upon feelings of piety of those in the crowd, “calling on men from all over Christendom to come to the rescue of their fellow Christians in the east: ‘Undertake this journey for the remission of your sins, assured of the imperishable glory of the kingdom of heaven.’ (Keen 1991, pp. 117-118). Before any other motive, the crusaders believed that they were fighting because it was God’s will and they were fighting for the religion that they were so devoted to. Unlike military conflicts of this time, the call from the pope, the representative of God, to fight for religion drew enthusiasm from clergy and laity alike. The reaction of the crowds Clermont demonstrates how the idea of a war in defense of Christianity was alone able to draw widespread enthusiasm without the promise of material gain. It is unlikely that there would have been such enthusiasm unless there was a genuine desire among most crusaders to fight in defense of their religion and to follow the orders of the pope, and, by extension, God. Furthermore, during the eleventh century pilgrimages were very popular, so when Urban II first announced the crusade, the goal of capturing Jerusalem turned it into an armed pilgrimage in the minds of those who participated (Riley Smith 1986, pp. 22). Connecting the Crusade to the pilgrimage made the laity see it as an act of devotion which would please God and which was sanctioned by the pope. It also made it a very attractive option for those who wanted the opportunity to see the Holy Land, as they would have the protection of an army. The fact that the crusade would lead them to Jerusalem made it seem especially desirable and spiritually rewarding to people of all backgrounds, as it was such a significant