The Crusades The Beginning Pope Urban II Seljuk

The Crusades

The Beginning • Pope Urban II • Seljuk Turks • Alexius • Clermont (1095) • 1 st Crusade

Pope Urban Speaking at the Council of Clermont (11/27/1095)

Council of Clermont On November 27, 1095, Pope Urban II spoke to a Christian audience in Clermont, urging his listeners to free the Holy Land (Jerusalem, Israel, and the areas around them) from the Muslim Turks. His words were strong and powerful : " Jerusalem is now held captive by the enemies of Christ, those who do not know God , the heathen (non Christians). Jerusalem wants to be free and begs you to come help! Who will take up this work, who will right these wrongs, who will recover this territory, if you won't ? "

Before the 1 st Crusade—The “People’s Crusade” Peter the Hermit

The 1 st Crusade • Pope Urban had two reasons for sending western Europeans to war. The first was that Christians in the Byzantine Empire needed extra protection against the Muslim Seljuk Turks. But the more important reason for beginning the crusades was to free the Holy Land from the Muslim infidels ( people who did not believe in Christianity), who were preventing Christians from visiting the holy land.

The Holy Land •

Route Taken by 1 st Crusaders

The 1 st Crusade • Historians believe that 30, 000 crusaders left Western Europe to fight in the first crusade. About 4, 000 of those were knights, who were happy to try out their fighting skills. The rest of the crusaders were foot soldiers, archers (soldiers with bows and arrows), and cooks. Women and priests also traveled with the men in the army.