Download The First Crusade As the year 1000A.D. was approaching the

The First Crusade
As the year 1000A.D. was approaching the strength of Christianity in Western
Europe
was growing along with its population. The newly reformed and organized Church began
to gain
great power. A new Europe was being born with the Catholic Church as a force in every
area of
life.
In Christian beliefs, the savior, Jesus Christ was to return to earth and bring
judgment on
its people. Many clergy members along with lay people believed this would take place in
the
year 1000A.D. . Knowing this, the people of Europe awaited the return of Christ and
feared the
Wrath of God. Religious people wanted to make up for their sins and avoid the horrors
of
eternal damnation. Clergy members were often consulted to figure out what would be a
suitable
penance. ' The Church itself still frequently imposed pilgrimages as a penance'
(Campbell p.14).
A pilgrimage to the Holy Land was not an easy task to say the least. The road to
Jerusalem was
jagged. On the way to Jerusalem, pilgrims were often murdered by thieves. They were
defenseless and often did not return. Some pilgrims did return from the Holy Land.
They came
back with tales that planted the seeds for a Crusade.
' The pilgrims that returned from the Holy City of Jerusalem recounted tales,
often
grossly exaggerated, of the horrible pollution of the sacred places at the hands of the
Turks'
(Campbell p23). Other stories of the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the
burial
place of Jesus, by the Turks surfaced in the early eleventh century. The news of the
destruction
of the Sepulcher was mourned in every Christian country. The nations looked to Rome
for a
solution to this most serious of Problems.
The Byzantine emperor asked for the aid of the Pope to help him with his Turk
problem.
To the Pope, it would be a strategic move to aid the Byzantine emperor. The Pope
realized that
this offered the opportunity to re-establish the universal Church and establish the
supremacy of
Rome. In 1095, at the Council of Clermont in southern France, 'Urban II challenged
Christians
to take up their weapons against the infidels and participate in a holy war and recapture
the Holy
Land' (Spielvogel,p344). Pope Urban II addressed the French telling them of the horrors
imposed on the Holy Land. He told them all of the destruction and desecration of
churches, and
the torturous treatment of the Christian inhabitants of the Holy Land. The large crowd
listening to
the Pope's speech was saddened and outraged. The Pope called on Christian knights to
set out
to the Holy Land and free it from the claws of the pagan Seljuk Turks. He promised any
knight
who set out to the Holy Land ' the remission of sins and be sure of the incorruptible glory
of the
kingdom of heaven' (Spielvogel,p345). The crowd immediately supported it by crying
out ' It is
the will of God'(Spielvogel,p345). This can be seen as the starting point of the period of
the
Crusades.
A Crusade immediately followed known as the Peasant's Crusade. This Crusade
was
not organized by the papacy. They were mostly poor or peasants and were inadequately
prepared. On their way to the East they terrorized the Balkans by looting and persecuting
the
Jews. Eventually, they reached Constantinople and were sent by the Emperor Alexius I
to Asia
Minor where they were slaughtered by the Seljuk Turks.
A papal supported Crusade was soon to follow. The soldiers for the first true
Crusade
were recruited from the warrior class of knights. By 1096, ' an international military
force, with a
large nucleus of knights from central and southern France, Normandy, and Norman
Sicily, made
its way across the Balkans and assembled in Constantinople' (Hollister,p.189). The
warriors of
the First Crusade numbered around 25,000 or 30,000. The number of troops may seem
minuscule by today's standards it was ' immense in the eyes of contemporaries ' (
Hollister,p.189). Pope Urban II appointed Adhemar of Le Puy, a French bishop, to lead
the
Crusaders into the Holy Land. The First Crusade was underway.
There were many reasons for knights to venture out to the Holy Land. Many
joined the
Crusade for the Pope's pledge of the remission of sins and the incorruptible glory of the
kingdom
of heaven. To them it was like an ' armed pilgrimage' (Spielvogel,p346). Others saw a
more
materialistic goal. They saw victory in the Holy Land as a chance to benefit themselves.
They
felt they could gain territories, wealth or a title. The Crusade was not only a ' Holy War.'
By 1097, the noble warriors from Western Europe had reached the Byzantine
capital of
Constantinople. When the Byzantine Emperor Alexius saw the amount of crusading
soldiers he
was not entirely accepting. He was unsure of the true motives of the Crusaders. To him
they
posed a threat to his empire due to the size of the armies. Alexius truly called on the West
only to
aid him in recapturing the lost Byzantine provinces of Asia Minor. The Crusaders were
determined on the conquest of the Holy Land. Alexius made the Crusaders promise
homage to
the lands they would conquer. Alexius promised the Crusaders military aid but it never
truly
came. After the Crusaders left Constantinople ties with the Byzantines were severed.
The crusading armies then moved southeastward across Asia Minor. The
immense
number of cavalry and foot soldiers reached the ancient city of Antioch by 1098. ' After
a long
and complex siege ' the Crusaders captured Antioch ( Hollister,p.192). After the
capturing of
Antioch, the Crusaders moved towards Palestine. In June of the year 1099 the Crusaders
reached the
' Holy City ' of Jerusalem. ' After a five week siege ', Jerusalem was
taken by
the Crusaders ( Spielvogel,p.346). The victory was celebrated by the plundering of the
city.
The Crusaders carried on the 'Will of God ' through the brutal slaughtering of
Jerusalem's nonChristian inhabitants. Eyewitnesses described the battle as being so gruesome that their '
feet
were colored to their ankles with the blood of the slain' and that ' neither women nor
children
were spared' (Hollister,p.193).
Conquests in the future followed. As the conquest was ending, the Crusaders set
up
feudal states in the conquered lands. Four main Latin states were created. They were the
principality of Antioch, the county of Edessa, the county of Tripoli and the kingdom of
Jerusalem.
The ruler of the kingdom of Jerusalem, Godffrey de Bouillon, had the most power. He
held the
other states as fiefs. The Latin states relied heavily upon the Italian merchant cities for
supplies
due to the fact that the lands bordering them were enemies.
The First Crusade was the most successful of the Crusades. In only three years
the
Crusaders fulfilled their goal of conquering the Holy Land. They were successful in
freeing the
Holy Land from the clutches of non-Christian rulers. They successfully carried out the
wishes of
the Pope and , more importantly, what they believed to be the ' Will of God .' The
crusading
knights gained new powers through the conquest along with salvation. Economically, the
First
Crusade was a success for Western Europe. New ports on the Mediterranean were in the
hands of Western lords, opening new gates for trade.
On the other hand, the First Crusade could be seen to be a failure in many ways.
Relations with the Byzantine Empire grew far more distant. The Pope's dream of
unifying the
eastern and western churches could not be achieved. The gruesome display of barbarism
on
behalf of the Crusaders could also be seen as a failure in morals. It seemed that the
Crusaders,
for the most part, lost their way. Their goals switched from religious to materialistic.
The First Crusade was the first installment in a series that lose their ' holiness'
and
become less successful. Militarily, the First Crusade was an utter success. It started a
hatred for
the West by the Near and Middle Eastern peoples that still is strong today.
Keywords:
first crusade year approaching strength christianity western europe growing along with
population newly reformed organized church began gain great power europe being born
with catholic church force every area life christian beliefs savior jesus christ return earth
bring judgment people many clergy members along with people believed this would take
place year knowing this people europe awaited return christ feared wrath religious
wanted make their sins avoid horrors eternal damnation clergy members were often
consulted figure what would suitable penance church itself still frequently imposed
pilgrimages penance campbell pilgrimage holy land easy task least road jerusalem jagged
jerusalem pilgrims were often murdered thieves they were defenseless often return some
pilgrims from holy land they came back tales that planted seeds crusade pilgrims that
returned from holy city jerusalem recounted tales grossly exaggerated horrible pollution
sacred places hands turks campbell other stories destruction sepulcher burial place jesus
turks surfaced early eleventh century news destruction sepulcher mourned every christian
country nations looked rome solution this most serious problems byzantine emperor
asked pope help turk problem pope would strategic move byzantine emperor pope
realized that offered opportunity establish universal establish supremacy rome council
clermont southern france urban challenged christians take their weapons against infidels
participate recapture land spielvogel urban addressed french telling them horrors imposed
told them destruction desecration churches torturous treatment christian inhabitants large
crowd listening speech saddened outraged called knights free from claws pagan seljuk
turks promised knight remission sins sure incorruptible glory kingdom heaven spielvogel
crowd immediately supported crying will spielvogel seen starting point period crusades
crusade immediately followed known peasant organized papacy they mostly poor
peasants inadequately prepared their east terrorized balkans looting persecuting jews
eventually reached constantinople sent emperor alexius asia minor where slaughtered
seljuk papal supported soon follow soldiers first true recruited warrior class knights
international military force large nucleus knights central southern france normandy
norman sicily made across balkans assembled constantinople hollister warriors first
numbered around number troops seem minuscule today standards immense eyes
contemporaries hollister urban appointed adhemar french bishop lead crusaders into
underway there many reasons venture many joined pledge remission sins incorruptible
glory kingdom heaven them like armed pilgrimage others more materialistic goal victory
chance benefit themselves felt could gain territories wealth title only noble warriors
western reached byzantine capital constantinople when alexius amount crusading soldiers
entirely accepting unsure true motives crusaders posed threat empire size armies alexius
truly called west only recapturing lost provinces asia minor crusaders determined
conquest made promise homage lands conquer promised military never truly came after
left ties byzantines severed crusading armies then moved southeastward across asia minor
immense number cavalry foot soldiers reached ancient city antioch after long complex
siege captured antioch hollister after capturing antioch moved towards palestine june year
city five week siege taken victory celebrated plundering carried will through brutal
slaughtering inhabitants eyewitnesses described battle being gruesome feet colored
ankles blood slain neither women children spared conquests future followed conquest
ending feudal states conquered lands four main latin states created principality county
edessa county tripoli kingdom ruler godffrey bouillon most power held other states fiefs
latin relied heavily upon italian merchant cities supplies fact lands bordering enemies
most successful crusades only three years fulfilled goal conquering successful freeing
clutches rulers successfully carried wishes more importantly what believed will crusading
gained powers through conquest along salvation economically success western ports
mediterranean hands lords opening gates trade other hand could seen failure ways
relations empire grew more distant dream unifying eastern churches could achieved
gruesome display barbarism behalf also seen failure morals seemed part lost goals
switched religious materialistic installment series lose holiness become less successful
militarily utter success started hatred west near middle eastern peoples still strong today
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