Booklet 2: Long Term reasons for calling the crusade

Political Reasons

Social Reasons

Religious Reasons

To help the Byzantines

  • Papal primacy; over both Greek and Latin Churches
  • Start of growing political relations with Alexius; 1089: lifting excommunication
  • Shows authority over the lay people (secular powers/authority)
  • Henry IV power was questioned by calling the crusade (investiture conflict)
  • Council of Clermont; more support
  • Henry IV son and wife had defected to Pope Urban's side
  • 1094: Urban had briefly re-entered Rome
  • Reaching more people; dissemination of his view
  • 'Floweth with milk and honey': appealing to those suffering in famine (a sign from god)
  • Claim land due to over population; landless sons can claim land e.g. Guiscard travelled to take land
  • Calling for knights in order to re-direct their anger and violence caused by primogeniture towards a new enemy; united by Christ and the principle of indulgence
  • Promising indulgence and glory in heaven
  • Jerusalem: the birth and death place of Christ; offering an opportunity for pilgrimage achieving penance
  • Spread Christendom showing superiority and convert people to Christianity; saving souls of the people (his job)
  • Literally creating a God's army; knights of St Peter, Just War Theory
  • God's will: commet in 1066, famine
  • Religion became more important as discussion emerged
  • Appeal answered to help a fellow Christian brother (March 1095)
  • Kilij Arslan now close to Anatolia because of Civil War caused by Malik Shah's death
  • Creates opportunity to take Anatolia back: regain tax, land, military, grain and trade
  • Taken after Manzikert 1071 due to Micheal Ducas failing to uphold the treaty that Romanus instated
  • Now owe loyalty to the papacy