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Crusades Dbq Research Paper

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Selina Zhu Katherine Rossignol World History Honors 23-24 20 November 2023 The Crusades are the most well-known and brutal campaign in medieval Europe. While there were many different motivations for the crusader army to embark on their journey, the Crusades were primarily caused by religious devotion. The religious climate of medieval Europe and the religious importance of the enemy occupied lands indicate that the central motive of the Crusades was religion; however some argue that the looting practices of the crusaders meant they were fueled by economic desire. Medieval Europe was a period full of instability, corruption, and religious frenzy. After the collapse of the Carolingian Empire, Europe devolved into a feudal system. Europe descended …show more content…

As the ragtag army set out on their campaign, one of their most important goals was retaking Jerusalem. Also, the Pope claimed that the crusaders would be fighting the “Holy War” to win back Jerusalem, which was closely associated with the Christian idea of heaven and the apocalyptic war. According to the Bible, “The New Jerusalem appeared only after the final cosmic war between good and evil, after the plagues, the persecutions, the death, the destruction” (Document 3). Pope Urban convinced people that the Crusades were the prophesied apocalyptic war, and this news motivated many crusaders to campaign. The crusaders assumed that in order for the “New Jerusalem” to appear, they must attack and reconquer the holy lands, kicking off the apocalyptic holy war by battling the “evil” Muslims. Jerusalem is a very significant religious symbol in Christianity, and the importance of this city greatly influenced the creation of the Crusades. In addition, another religiously important city was Antioch. Antioch was almost as spiritually significant as Jerusalem as the first Christian church was built there. The crusaders are reclaiming holy cities like Antioch and Jerusalem for their spiritual importance to them and the Catholic church, showing

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