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Why did people participate in the Second Crusade (Religious Motives (To…
Why did people participate in the Second Crusade
Religious Motives
To take advantage of the opportunity God has afforded them to act in his service
success of 1099 crusade = God endorsed crusades
Bernard argued that God only pretended to be in need as act of charity + deliberately engineered threat to Holy Land so that Christians could have chance of spiritual purification
Eugenius emphasised that he had divine mandate
Gain penance
After reconciliation, Louis had new religious fervour w/ penitential streak
Eugenius made it clear that spiritual rewards were on offer
Old French song "Knights, much is promised" from months after Vézelay assembly "His soul will go to paradise
To convert or wipe out non-Christians
Iberian peninsula suffered campaigns like crusade in 1113-15 when Catalan and Pisan offences attacked Balearic Islands
Eugenius said that Edessa had been "taken by the enemies of Christ"
Unrefined ideology of crusade
Pope may not have been in control of crusading movement
Fighting in Iberia and Baltic
Political Motives
To neutralise enemies
Pope was in long running dispute with people of Rome over secular governance of city
Forced to live in exile: 1145 spent in Viterbo - 55 miles from Lateran Palace
Louis' early reign = disputes w/ rome over French ecclesiastical appointments - predecessor had temporarily excommunicated
by 1145 had reconciled w/ pope
Conrad III still not been crowned as HRE by Pope but was close because has shown himself to be a true papal ally
Kings leaving for crusade posed problems
fractious nature of politics in Europe meant that crown involvement in crusade extended potential for antagonism between contingents
Long standing international rivalry between France and Germany could have undermined expedition
had to appoint regents
To create Vassals and unite kingdom
Bernard wanted to extend papacy's power over Europe
Baltic campaign
Economic Motives
To gain trading privileges
Some wanted to fight in Wendish territory for trading privileges and not go to Holy land
Territorial ambitions
Failed harvests in western Europe = even Louis and Conrad struggling to pay for campaign
Social Motives
Feudal or family ties
Eugenius said that predecessors had sacrificed "their own blood" to take Jerusalem "from the filth of the pagans" - imagery meant to emphasise notions of familial obligation
Louis had bloodline connection through great-uncle Hugh of Vermandois + many were similar
Duty to the memory of their fathers
Quantum Praedecessores
Memory of 1st crusade was central to Eugenius' vision of new campaign
Provided specificity - would "grant remission of and absolution from sins"
success of 1099 crusade = God endorsed crusades
1st Crusade Regarded as single astonishing even that was unrepeatable
Eugenius said that he was motivated to summon 2nd crusade due to example of "our predecessor of happy memory, Pope Urban"
For status (myths of first Crusade)