The Crusades

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The Crusade
On 27th November 1095 Pope Urban II called for the first crusade to reclaim the holy land (History.com). In his speech, he appealed for military support for the emperor of the Byzantine Empire to reinforce his nation against the encroaching Turks from the west. However, the first crusade has been subjected to a myriad of criticism citing personal interest of territorial expansion that was propelled through religiosity.
Why the First Crusade Was Fought
Urban called for the Crusade to guarantee pilgrims access to the holy sites that were in the Eastern Mediterranean. The area was under the control of Muslims, an act that the pope refers to the invasion of the Promised Land by a race that is alienated from God (Riley-Smith 10). However, critiques argue that access to the holy shrines was not the primary motive that prompted Urban to appeal for support and this equally apply to the people that heeded his call. He wanted to use an orthodox strategy of uniting the Western and the Eastern region of the Christ-Dom that had been separated and thereafter install himself as the leader of the unified church. His speech also called for the destruction of other religion such as the Muslim and the pagans who had polluted the area with filthiness (Riley-Smith 10). The pope also uses an enthusiastic language to coerce people through instilling fear and associated repercussions if they do not heed to his call.
Was The Christians Call To Arms Justified? Why or Why Not?
Besides the Biblical condemnation directed to the Kingdom of Persian, the speech shows the rot and inhumane treatment that was met by Christians.

The Persians subjected the prisoners of wars to inhuman punishment and cruel torture using fire, sword, and pillage (Riley-Smith 10). The Persians destroyed Christian churches and converted others to places of conducting their rituals. For instance, they forcefully subject Christians to their circumcision and others were killed by biding them by the post and piercing their throats with arrows (Riley-Smith 10). Additionally, they trained to kill through cutting their necks with a single blow. Also, women and young girls were raped. Thus, the pope in his letter was calling support to reclaim Christian territories in Jerusalem and human dignity.
In conclusion, Pope Urban appeals to people to offer resources and military support in reclaiming the territorial borders and human dignity in Jerusalem. He appeals for the individual consent and excludes children and women from the military to avoid unnecessary liabilities. He also calls for the consent from leaders and blessings from God and the ancestors.
Works Cited
History.com. “Pope Urban II Orders First Crusade”. HISTORY, 2018, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pope-urban-ii-orders-first-crusade. Accessed 3 Jan 2019.
Riley-Smith, J. (2014). A Pope Calls for Crusade. A history. Bloomsbury Publishing.