In 1095, Pope Urban II delivered a sermon: a call of arms to the Christians of Europe. He preached a pilgrimage to recapture the city of Jerusalem and other states in the East from the control of the Muslims. At the time, it cannot have been known what the outcome or impact of this Crusade would have been. There are many reasons why it might have been successful.
In Europe in the 11th century, religion would have been an integral part of people’s lives. All of them were Christian, following the rites and rules of the Catholic Church very closely. In a society as pious as this, it cannot be seen as surprising that people were willing to take this great journey in the name of their religion. At the time, the main focus of most of the peasants’ lives would have been to get into heaven after they died. The afterlife was seen as something of great import in 1095, and while there were many ways to guarantee a place, such as confessing sins and attending church, the best way to gain a place in heaven was to go on a …show more content…
Jerusalem, the city the Crusaders were attempting to recapture, had great importance to the Christians of Europe. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the place where Jesus is believed to have died and been resurrected, was situated there. As well as this, it held great importance in terms of the nature and grandeur of the city. As this place held such immense importance to the Christians, some may argue they will have done anything to defend it. For this reason, the religious importance of the city the Crusaders were attempting to recapture may have had an impact, as they will have been willing to risk their lives for it. This may have made the Crusade likely to be a success, as the people of Europe were willing to do much to defend it and win it back from Muslim