“The First Crusade was a war launched in , by Christians under the support of the , to regain control of from the , and to help the fight the ” (Wikipedia). Initial motives behind the war included Pope Gregory VII’s hope that the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church would reunite, but attempts withered and failed amidst other conflicts.
Pope Urban II was the next to experience a motivation for the religious war. He saw the general disorganization in Europe, but unlike Gregory, he felt the war necessary not for political reasons, but rather as a means to spread Christianity and the idea of Christendom—the church as a universal unifying institution. As a religious leader he provided the means of religious impulse as a driving force to spiritually fuel the war, and the mundane leaders as governmental figures provided the financial and material fuel for the war.
Meanwhile, the Byzantine emperor Alexius I was fighting the Turks. Upon observing the development of the involvement of Pope Urban II, he asked for the aid of the Western people. The response was favorable, and soon the Council of Clermont commenced. There, the first words of the religious calling flowed over the masses as Pope Urban II spoke to the crowd. The mission, ordained by God, himself, quenched the spiritual thirst of the people who had been longing for a sense of direction. The crowd left the Council of 1095 in an enthusiastic frenzy, clamoring to fight for God. They had nothing to lose and everything to gain; even if they died in battle, they were guaranteed entry into heaven.
The war to regain control of the Holy Lands was soon recognized as a way to achieve stability at home once again. Merchants would be able to have new trade routes and available markets. Also, local lands were becoming short in supply; increased farming and growing urban areas threatened noble power. The population increased rapidly because of advancements, and nobility was no exception to the problem of population growth. The families were still increasing, but the availability of land was not. Among the noble families civil disagreements broke out as the sons of lords fought for control. Thus, the nobles planned on seizing the opportunity to gain new lands, and in turn, solve their problems as well.
In many aspects, the crusades seemed to further illustrate the disorganization of the times rather than act as an answer or cure for the chaos. The campaign for the crusade rapidly gathered people of all walks of life and became a widespread movement. Soon, a large, diverse mob—consisting of women, yeoman farmers, monks, and children—quickly accumulated, and each individual believed to be led by God himself. From this mass of people, the figure well-known for the idea of the crusade emerged—Peter the Hermit of Amiens.