A Crusade is a holy war fought in the name of God and is sanctioned by the pope. All those that go on a crusade are bound by oath to continue until the very end and until the goal of the pope has been achieved. The first Crusade was a massive armed pilgrimage brought about by Pope Urban the second in 1096 which lasted till 1099. This Crusade was called in response to the holy land being conquered by the Seljuk Turks and Byzantine emperor Alexius Comnenus’s call to the west for aid. There are Political, economic, military and religious factors involved in the calling of this crusade and in its success. However, religious factors were key to the triumph of the crusade, but they were not the underlying factors of the crusade for some. There were several hidden motives for the crusade and several rewards for the victory of it.
Economic = cheaper products of the east and easier access to them. Battle creates constant demand of supplies. Merchants sought greater control of the goods, routes, and profits from the east.…show more content… European colonialism and expansion. Regain of power for pope and bishops over princes. Power Struggle, enforced by the investiture. Contributed to the wealth and power of the church. Land for the church and renewed devotion to church and the pope. Persuasion and propaganda. Reinforce the churches position after the victory of the investiture conflict, this victory allowed the church to have a more global appeal as the popes now had control over installing important members of the clergy. Worldly interests coincided with religious feelings about the Holy Land and the pope’s newfound ability to mobilize and focus a great