An Overview of the First Crusade

  

  The first crusade occurred in the 11th Century and is a major event in Church history as well as world history. Not only did the crusades show what great influence the Catholic Church had achieved, but also demonstrated the willingness of the laity. Out of the eight crusades that occurred during the Middle Ages, the first crusade is the most documented and researched by historians. My paper will give an account of the important events and brief history of this famous crusade.  

The first crusade officially began in 1095 when Pope Urban II delivered a famous speech in Clermont, France. “He had spent the previous week presiding over a church council attended by twelve archbishops, eighty bishops and other senior clergy, before announcing that he wanted to give an address of special importance to the faithful.” [1]  In order to cater to more individuals while giving the speech, Pope Urban II addressed everyone in a nearby field. “Dearest brethren,’ he said, ‘I, Urban, supreme pontiff and by the permission of God prelate of the whole world, have come in this time of urgent necessity to you, the servants of God in these regions, as a messenger for divine admonition.” [2] This magnificent speech instilled a drive and determination in all Catholics to take back the Holy Land. However, there were several other reasons why it was a good point in history for the crusades to ensue. 

Nicaea had fallen to the Turks in 1084, which caused great turmoil in the world. The muslims had begun a ten-year attack against Christians earlier in the eleventh century. “Church property was confiscated, crosses were burned, and little mosques built on church roofs. In 1009 Hakim ordered the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, and by 1014 some 30,000 churches had been burned or pillaged.” [3] Before this time pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land were able to in peace, but now they were harassed, robbed, and beaten. 

There were also less serious reasons for the First Crusade. Due to the prosperity of the Church, Europe had become overpopulated during the Middle Ages. The Crusades were a way of dealing with this overpopulation by sending its citizens to new lands. Also, this was a way for the kings of Europe to reconcile with the Catholic Church. “For in 1095, when the Crusades finally began, the German emperor, the French king, and the English king had all been excommunicated. In addition to bringing these men back to the church, a successful crusade would demonstrate the pope’s primacy over the kings of Europe, since he would be the only one capable of bringing them together to fight a common enemy.” [4]  This crusade will also demonstrate papal power due to the fact that crusades had been called for in the past, but the call was not answered. However, it was finally time for Europe to answer the call to take back the Holy Land. 

Unlike the previous attempts at a crusade by the Catholic Church, the First Crusade was received with a promising response. “So high was the enthusiasm in Clermont that red material used for the making of the five red crosses—symbolic of the five wounds of Christ—soon ran out, and people demanded to be tattooed or branded with this red cross.” [5] All who participated in this crusade received a special blessing and had to be approved by their parish priest as well as take a crusading vow. Throughout the First Crusade there were three important figures: Bohemond, Godfrey de Bouillon, and Raymond of Toulouse. “Four main armies amounting to nearly seventy thousand soldiers were led by leaders who proceeded by different routes to their rendezvous point of Constantinople.” [6] In June 1097, crusading forces took the city of Nicaea from the Muslims. 

In October 1097 the Siege of Antioch began, which lasted seven and a half months. This siege was brutal as well as exhausting and some of the leaders fled with this armies due to this. “But Raymond, Godfrey and Bohemond held firm, inspiring their men, leading charges, resisting enemy attacks. Finally Bohemond, with the help of a traitor inside Antioch, broke into the city and opened the gates to the rest of the Crusading army.” [7] This was a well-deserved victory that came at a cost. However, soon after they had taken the city, the Moslem relief army arrived and sieged Antioch. “Conditions looked grim, but on June 28th, Bohemond called forth the entire Christian army. After a final hand-to-hand struggle, the Moslem army was routed, and Antioch was secure.” [8]

After the Christians had reclaimed Antioch for Christ, many problems laid ahead for the Crusaders. The Muslims had mistreated the holy places in Antioch so “the Bishop of Le Puy arranged for the Cathedral of St Peter and the other churches that the Turks had desecrated to be cleaned and restored to Christian worship.” [9] Also, leaders of the crusade began to argue for Antioch.  “Bickering took place as Bohemond claimed Antioch for himself and refused to go a step further. Several months passed, in fact, before anyone could be persuaded to leave Antioch and press on with the crusade…” [10] Finally, in 1099, ten thousand crusaders marched to Jerusalem. Upon coming to the city of Jerusalem all the crusader rejoiced and many got down on their knees and cried. The main purpose of the First Crusade, to take the Holy City, was within their grasp. 

The siege of Jerusalem was even more challenging than the siege of Antioch. The climate was much harsher and the armies suffered because of this. The sun shown constantly and the harsh desert wind deleted all moisture from the air. The Moslems had poisoned all of the water near the city, so the crusaders dug in the dirt to find water. After a priest reported having a vision in which he was instructed that all the soldiers must have a barefoot pilgrimage around the Holy City, the final attack began. “Godfrey led it, from a wooden siege tower, at one point even holding up a cracked beam with his own back. His men flung open the Gate of St. Stephen. Through it came the Normans and then the main force under Raymond. Jerusalem was taken.” [11]

Unfortunately after this great victory many of the soldiers committed terrible warcrimes, which still puzzles historians. “An estimated forty thousand people lived in the city—soldiers, men, women, and children—and the crusaders, for reasons that are still debated, put many of them to death.” [12] Perhaps it was due to the shell-shock of years of fighting or possibly the people revolted against them. Whatever their reasons were “this behavior was totally against the promises these men had made at knighthood, and marred what would otherwise have been a splendid victory.” [13]

The First Crusade is the only successful crusade in history. The other eight Crusades that occurred after this time all ended leaving the Holy Land no better off than it had been before the start of the First Crusade. Yes, the Sack of Jerusalem was a terrible event, but had nothing to do with the overall purpose of the Crusade. The First Crusade also provides a magnificent example of the power of the Church during the Middle Ages and how success can come about when kings answer to the Catholic Church.

[1] Frankopan, Peter. “The First Crusade: The Call From the East.” Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press, 2012, Introduction. eBook: https://web.s.ebscohost.com

[2] Frankopan, Peter. “The First Crusade: The Call From the East.” Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press, 2012, Introduction. eBook: https://web.s.ebscohost.com

[3] Vidmar, John. The Catholic Church Through The Ages. New York: Paulist Press, 2014, 125.

[4] Vidmar, John. The Catholic Church Through The Ages. New York: Paulist Press, 2014, 126.

[5] Vidmar, John. The Catholic Church Through The Ages. New York: Paulist Press, 2014, 128.

[6] Vidmar, John. The Catholic Church Through The Ages. New York: Paulist Press, 2014, 129.

[7] Carrol, Anne W. Christ the King Lord of History. Charlotte, NC: TAN Books, 1994, 166. 

[8] Carrol, Anne W. Christ the King Lord of History. Charlotte, NC: TAN Books, 1994, 166. 

[9] Runciman, Steven. “The First Crusade.” Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1992, 146. eBook:https://web.s.ebscohost.com

[10] Vidmar, John. The Catholic Church Through The Ages. New York: Paulist Press, 2014, 130.

[11] Carrol, Anne W. Christ the King Lord of History. Charlotte, NC: TAN Books, 1994, 166-167. 

[12] Vidmar, John. The Catholic Church Through The Ages. New York: Paulist Press, 2014, 131.

[13] Carrol, Anne W. Christ the King Lord of History. Charlotte, NC: TAN Books, 1994, 167.