Why Did Pope Urban II Call The First Crusade In 1095

Why did Pope Urban II call the First Crusade in 1095 When Alexius I appealed for aid in the Council of Piacenza in March 1095, it wasn’t surprising that the First Crusade occurred only a few months afterwards, as it was considered by historians “premediate” and resulted from the long-existing opposition to many factors. Building up towards 1095, Christendom was perceived to be threatened both externally by heretical military expansions and internally by the destructive knightly class and the concern for Jerusalem, while Urban was resolute to maximise the papacy’s power, and his own success, through setting the Christian agenda.
Since 9th Century, Christendom had been threatened religiously and militarily by heresies, providing Urban in 1095

In 1074, Gregory proposed that Christians “should lay down [their] lives to liberate [the Byzantine people]”, explicitly showing his intention to protect Christian territory and reconcile with the Byzantine Empire through a defensive holy war. An ardent supporter of the Gregorian reform, Urban claimed at his election "what [Gregory] loved I embrace", which, although used heavy rhetoric to rally support from the audience, shows Urban’s resoluteness to execute Gregory’s proposal. In addition to legacy, Urban could increase his power in Christendom when Countess Matilda finally defeated Henry IV’s forces in the 1090s and Antipope Guibert of Ravenna’s influence over Rome was declining. As a result papal power was consolidating, providing a strong foundation for Urban to stabilise his rule over Christendom and to reinforce his personal status. To illustrate, Urban and his proposal received plentiful attention from 310 esteemed churchmen and numerous laymen who attended the Council of Clermont. As Tyerman succinctly comments, “ceremonies acted as media for information [and] exhortation” and resembled immense significance in a highly illiterate society. This viewpoint justifies Urban’s confidence in the council’s impact which strengthened his authority in Christendom, and explains the motive of his fourteen-month speech tour that covered southern, central, western and south-eastern France. This moreover demonstrated his personal ambition to restore papal authority in all levels of Christendom. Urban understood that his contribution could boost his reputation and popularity among supportive Christians. As Henry’s powers declined, Urban’s personal ambitions and pursuit of the Gregorian reform constructed a suitable setting for a crusade in