The Crusades were one of the most notorious religious wars between the representatives of Christians and Muslims. The main idea of those conflicts was the desire to gain control and power over holy sites in the Middle East. There were eight well-known expeditions between 1096 and 1291 that led to Jerusalem’s recovery and an overall change of European society. Many people made their contributions to the formation of the Crusades, and the role of the Catholic Church, including Pope Urban II, was integral. The conditions in Europe, like the population growth or monarchy rises, Pope’s call, and role distribution, promoted the development of new trade relationships and strengthened the power of the monarchy, diminishing the worth of feudalism.
A variety of reasons may explain why the Crusades emerged at the beginning of the 1000s, and one of the main explanations was the conditions in Europe. This continent was characterized by significant powers despite the impossibility of obtaining the same resources and opportunities as the Mediterranean civilizations (History.com Editors). There were several feudal kingdoms and monarchies that had successfully introduced new government systems. At the same time, multiple conflicts and private warfare methods were hard to control or stop, promoting the years of chaos. Italian traders were not able to maintain their business affairs internationally because of the Muslim presence in the region. The population growth also affected human relationships and the quality of life. In other words, Europe demonstrated many achievements but faced challenges that could not be neglected.
Most Crusades were about the necessity to remove Muslims from the Holy Land and establish the church order. The Turkish threat became evident in the 11th century, and Christians tried to use any available methods such as creating knightly military orders, advertising symbols, and following the same divine purpose (History.com Editors). The Muslim military forces were great, and it was hard for the Crusades to succeed in their attacks. The first major achievement was the march toward Jerusalem, during which many males, females, and children were violently killed. The Seljuks were defeated, but their opposition continued, leading to new Crusades in the 12th century.
Pope Urban II was one of the Crusades’ founders, whose call for a holy war attracted the attention of many people and made them believe in the necessity of these expeditions. Religious convictions and the belief that it was the duty of Christians to fight for the Holy Land provoked positive and negative influences. Military elite and ordinary citizens were eager to support Pope Urban and believed in his speeches (History.com Editors). On the one hand, sin forgiveness was promised for all participants. On the other hand, he used the Church to pay for the debts of participants and reduce imposed taxes.
Such military conflicts were impossible to avoid, and their outcomes were fast recognized globally. In addition to the recovery of Jerusalem from Islam, the primary achievements were the presence of Christians in the Middle East and Europe and the development of new trade relationships (History.com Editors). The increased role of the Catholic Church allowed European kings to get power, signifying the monarchy and diminishing feudalism in society.
The history of the Crusades was not purely negative or purely positive. Its ambiguity was the price people had to pay for their victories and recovery. Religious arguments were enough for some groups and weak for others, but the Crusades were obsessed with their mission and the intention to change the world and remove the Muslims from Europe. The era of the Crusades was long and violent, and its outcomes are commonly discussed today.
Work Cited
History.com Editors. “Crusades.” History, 2021, Web.