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Short And Long Term Effects Of The First Crusades

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The first crusade started in autumn of 1095. Pope Urban II initiated the first crusade by calling upon his Christians to reclaim the city of Jerusalem. The Crusade was also meant to seek revenge on the followers of Islam. The followers were accused of committing crimes against “Christendom”. Pope Urbans crusade was made possible by the work of St. Augustine on Christian Violence in the past. Many Christians joined the crusade because the Pope promised rewards for the afterlife. After the fourth century, Christianity underwent a transformation when it fused with the Roman state for which warfare was essential. St. Augustine and Pope Urban enabled violence to be an option for Christians and it can be described in this quote, “For the first time in Christian history, violence was defined as a religious act, a source of grace.” After the Pope’s Christian tour, many Christians were ready to destroy everything that stood in their way. After the Pope called the Christians to battle, the First Crusade started in the spring of 1096 in Northwestern Europe. The first attack was not against the Muslims, but against the Jews. Anti-Semitism had existed in Europe already, but the First Crusade was considered the first mass violence against the Jews. The Crusaders were convinced that the Jews were partaking in the murdering of Jesus in Jerusalem. Pope Urban called for the lords and knights who formed society’s military elites. Pope Urban was a good communicator, but what he said was a

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