Pope Urban II The First Crusaders Analysis

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War, violence, and death followed the Crusaders as they made a march to Jerusalem to take the Holy Land. In the year 1095, Emperor Alexius sent an embassy to Pope Urban II regarding the atrocities befalling on close to 3,000 in the East and the growing threat of the Turks to Constantinople. Later that year, after already putting off the decision once, Pope Urban II called for the First Crusade to begin. Pope Urban II delivered his address to the Christians from Claremont in France. Here, he reminded the Christians that “For according to the gospel you are the salt of the earth. But if you fall short in your duty, how, it may be asked, can it be salted? O how great the need of salting! It is indeed necessary for you to correct with the salt…show more content…
It was about at this time that a certain hermit who was called “Peter the Hermit” who rallied many people for his own crusade with the call “God wills it!” He was later described by William of Tyre as “small in stature and his external appearance contemptible, but greater valor ruled in his slight frame. For be was sharp witted, his glance was bright and captivating, and be spoke with ease and eloquence.” Peter was seen somewhat as a divine figure, being noted by Guibert of Nogent that “By his wonderful authority he restored everywhere peace and concord, in place of discord. For in whatever he did or said it seemed as if there was something divine...” Peter was also known to be “ very liberal in the distribution to the poor of what he had received”(Guibert of Nogent), adding to the thoughts of the people that he was “divine.” He soon gained a base of followers, and they decided that they were tired of waiting and started their own crusade, named “The People’s Crusade” or “The Popular Crusade” which left for the Holy Land before the main crusade, hoping that they could get a head start on the war. Those who made up the People’s Crusade were mostly unarmed farmers who were untrained for combat and low ranking knights. In August of 1096 the confused Emperor Alexius, unsure of what to do with this “army,” shipped the People’s Crusade over the

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