The People's Role In The First Crusade

The First Crusade was a war based upon religion between the Christians and the Muslims. The First Crusade was the first of multiple crusades by the Christians and Muslims to capture and secure what they considered the holy land, also known as Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a middle eastern city located along the water of the Mediterranean Sea. The First Crusade was declared by Pope Urban II on November 27, 1095. Urban II was pope for only 12 years, from March 1088 to July 1099. Although he only was pope for 12 years he had a very crucial part in the First Crusade. The Crusade wasn’t declared until the end 1095 which was more than half way through Urban II being Pope. He reached Clermont on 15 or 16 November and opened the council on the 18th. On

In history this force, alongside a number of other contingents from Germany, has become known as the ‘People’s Crusade’.(Asbridge, 41) The ‘People’s Crusade’ might have been the first step in the right direction for the Christians they did not do all good. Although an initial rush of ill-disciplined zealots sparked an horrific outbreak of antisemitism, especially in the Rhineland, as they sought to finance their expedition by taking Jewish money and to attack a group perceived as the enemies of Christ in their own lands.(Phillips, 26) The ‘People’s Crusade only lasted approximately six months and was led by Peter the Hermit and other leaders. These Contingents known as the ‘People’s Crusade’ caused real problems outside Constantinople, before Alexios ushered them over the Bosporus and into the Asia Minor, where the Seljuk Turks destroyed them.(Phillips, 26) This defeat by the Seljuk Turks was the end of the ‘People’s Crusade’ but Peter the Hermit

From November 1096 onwards the main armies of the first Crusade began to arrive at the great city of Constantinople (Istanbul), ancient gateway to the Orient and capital of the Byzantine Empire.(Asbridge, 47) The rest of the armies and leaders arrive in Constantinople throughout the fall of 1096. The Crusaders’ army was the greatest military force to be assembled by the people of western Europe since the end of the western Roman Empire.(Bridge, 73) After all leaders and armies were gathered at Constantinople they moved onward to Antioch where an Alexius I Comnenus asks for oaths of fealty. At Antioch all except Tancred and Raymond (who promised only to refrain from hostilities against the Byzantines) took the oath to Alexius, which bound them to accept Alexius as overlord of their conquest.(“Crusades”, 1) Because they took the oath of fealty for Alexius I he promises to return the land that was formerly controlled by the