Pope Urban II

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Recommended: Religious motives of the crusades

The age leading up to the first crusade is detailed by many current historians, as well as Pope Urban II, as a time period where inhabitants "rage[d] against [their own] brothers and cut each other [to] pieces" (Peters, Baldric of Dol, 31) for economic and social advancement. In spite of these references, many people today believe that the Pope instigated the crusades for the sole reason of reclaiming Jerusalem. However, other motivations such as supplementary religious factors and the chance for economic, social, and political gain also played major roles. These motivations were not experienced supremely by the Pope; in fact he needed to instill these inspirations in all Christians to evoke their will to fight. The holy land had long been in the hands of a foreign power, and every knight willing to fight for it would need the proper motivation.

Cities such as Jerusalem were controlled by the Seljuk Turks. Christians still presided in these lands, but they possessed little or no power. In addition, the Turks showed no respect towards Christianity. Numerous reports of desecration and sacrilege at the hands of these pagans reached Rome and other areas in the eleventh century. Witnesses were claiming that "more suffering of brethren and devastation of churches remain[ed] than [could be] spok[en] of one by one" (Peters, Baldric of Dol, 31). According to Robert of Rheims, a devilish race "ha[d] invaded the lands of Christians and ha[d] depopulated them by sword, pillage and fire", they also "destroy[ed] the altars, after having defiled them with their uncleanliness" (Peters, Robert of Rheims, 27). These accounts outraged the Papacy and incited Pope Urban II to give his famous speech at Clermont, calling all knights to "en...

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... penetrate your minds, at least let the great suffering of those who desired to go to the holy places stir you up" (Peters, Guib rt of Nogent, 36). Declarations such as these were the Pope's last effort to rally as many soldiers as possible. He followed these statements with descriptions of what fellow Christians in the east had to endure, from taxes to torture. This final attempt likely was not a huge factor in motivating men to plunge into battle, but there was no harm in trying it out.

Many of the things that motivated men to go on the crusades did not pertain to religion or God, but more to pride, envy, and greed. Perhaps that is why the Pope was vague in his initial speech when dealing with killing and pillaging. After all, Urban II's job was to protect Christianity by any means necessary, and not to protect peoples of religions that stand in its way.

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