The First Crusade Analysis

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The First Crusade started in 1096 and ended in 1099. It began when the Byzantine Emperor Alexio I Komneos sought after military assistance from Pope Urban II because they were losing the battle against the Muslims in Turkey. The Western Church and the Byzantines were not on the best terms, and the church had no reason to help them. So, the Byzantines persuaded the church with zealous letters, and after some considerations, the church decided to assist the Byzantine Emperor in defeating the Muslims. The church used many tactics to validate their violent actions, thus gaining support from the general public. The church’s intentions were far from chaste; they were eager to participate in the war, as many profits could be gained from victory. …show more content…
In order to not contradict their teachings, the church used a variety of tactics to justify their actions. Firstly, the church removed their real motive and branded the Crusade as God’s will, thus making it seem like a holy pilgrimage (Medievalwarfare.info, 2015; Usu.edu, 2015). Secondly, the church influenced people to join the Crusade by including rewards and merits. Many merits can be gained once a citizen joins the crusade. According to Lateran council, all possessions owed by the citizen, including their wife and children were guaranteed safe. The church promised to secure their possessions unless they were verified as deceased. In addition, if a citizen was in debt, then they did not have to worry about interest, as any interest gained during the Crusade would be nullified. In addition, members of the Crusade were free from taxes. If an individual were constrained by an oath or promise to a lord, then the lord was obligated to release him. If lords and relatives of the crusader did not pay you an adequate amount of income, you may mortgage them to the church and they do not have the right to redress. The church also encouraged people to join the Crusade by promising them eternal rewards of the afterlife. Lastly, although Christian citizens could gain a tremendous amount of merit from joining the Crusade, Jews could not gain the same benefits. In fact, if a Jew was in debt, then they would have to pay back all …show more content…
A lot of merits can be gained from the war. Firstly, launching a war will create some sort of chaos, and in the midst of that chaos, the Roman church planned to usurp the king and consequently gain the military troops the king commands (Medievalwarfare.info, 2015). The king and the church were both incredibly influential, and both have been constantly fighting for power. Only by usurping the king can the church be truly at the top of the hierarchy, because not only will they have influence towards the citizens, they can also command military troops. Secondly, launching the crusade and winning the battle would allow the church to expand their territories, and subsequently gain even more power. The profit that they could gain from the war induced them to assist the Byzantines in launching the

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