First Crusade Was Launched In 1095
AncientPages.com - In 1095, at the town of Clermont in central France Pope Urban II made an official call for a "Holy War". The Pope stated: 'Whoever for devotion alone, but not to gain honor or money, goes to Jerusalem to liberate the Church of God can substitute this journey for all penance.'
This was the beginning of the beginning of the crusading era and centuries of religious conflict.
The crusades were a significant and long-lasting movement that saw European Christian knights mount successive military campaigns in attempts to conquer the Holy Land.
The religious campaign started as a widespread pilgrimage and ended as a military expedition by Roman Catholic Europe to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquests of the Levant (632-661), ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem in 1099.
The crusades had a huge impact on medieval life in Britain. People from all walks of life were involved.
During the crusade, knights, peasants and serfs from many regions of Western Europe traveled over land and by sea, first to Constantinople and then on towards Jerusalem.
The Crusaders arrived at Jerusalem, launched an assault on the city, and captured it in July 1099, massacring many of the city's Muslim, Christian, and Jewish inhabitants. They also established the crusader states of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the County of Tripoli, the Principality of Antioch, and the County of Edessa.
The fight for Christianity was extremely important to the Crusades. Richard the Lionheart (r1189–99) considered the quest to conquer the Holy Land to be so important that he was absent from England for many years of his reign, waging war in the Middle East.

Illustration from 1864 depicts Richard the Lionheart who meets Godfrey de Duisson, the Grandmaster of the Hospitallers. via wikipedia
Muslims in the Holy Land were not the only target of the crusades. Crusade campaigns were directed against a variety of people viewed as enemies of Christendom. Military campaigns against the Moors in Spain and Mongols and pagan Slavs in Eastern Europe have now also been recognized by historians as part of the crusade movement.
The crusading campaigns had a significant impact on global relations. These military actions led to an unprecedented interaction between east and west, which had an enduring influence on art, science, culture and trade. Meanwhile the shared fight for Christendom arguably also helped to foster ideological unity within Europe.
The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a number of crusades that attempted to capture the Holy Lands. It was later followed by the Second Crusade (1147–1149) announced by Pope Eugene III.
AncientPages.com
Expand for referencesReferences:
More From Ancient Pages
-
Ancient Egyptians Used Stripy Socks And May Have Invented Them
Ancient History Facts | Dec 5, 2018 -
Baffling Cathar Mystery – Was It A Double Ancient Reincarnation Case?
Featured Stories | Jan 12, 2025 -
3,600-Year-Old Bronze Dagger Made By The Minoan Civilization Found On Ancient Shipwreck
Archaeology | Sep 13, 2024 -
Unique Structure ‘Wooden Version Of Stonehenge’ – Identified In The Perdigões Complex, Portugal
Archaeology | Aug 6, 2020 -
Thousands Of Ignored ‘Nummi Minimi’ Coins Found In Ancient Marea, Egypt With Hidden Fascinating History
Archaeology | Dec 10, 2023 -
Artifacts From King Henry VIII’s Warship The Mary Rose – Analyzed
Archaeology | Apr 28, 2020 -
Undeciphered Ancient Code Could Be Evidence Of The World’s Oldest Data Storage System
Archaeology | Feb 27, 2014 -
10 Spooky Ancient Places That Are Home To The Feared Living Dead
Featured Stories | Oct 31, 2020 -
Who Is Secretly Keeping A Watching Eye On Tibetan Monasteries?
Featured Stories | May 14, 2019 -
Trajan’s Market Was The World’s First Known Shopping Mall
Ancient History Facts | Jul 2, 2016 -
On This Day In History: Vlad II Known As Vlad Dracul (‘Vlad The Dragon’) Was Born – On August 30, 1400
News | Aug 30, 2016 -
Ancient Graffiti Unearthed At Roman Vindolanda Reveals What One Roman Thought Of Another
Archaeology | May 27, 2022 -
Andlang – Spiritual Heaven And Shelter For The Dead After Ragnarok In Norse Mythology
Featured Stories | Aug 23, 2019 -
Jew’s Harps: Old Musical Instruments Discovered In Altai Mountains
Archaeology | Jan 9, 2018 -
On This Day In History: Spanish Priest Diego de Landa Burned The Sacred Books Of Maya – On July 12, 1562
News | Jul 12, 2016 -
Inscription On Pokotia Monolith Reveals Sumerians Visited Peru Thousands Of Years Ago
Ancient Symbols | Sep 1, 2015 -
Large Fortress And Wall Uncovered On The Nile Delta Mark Power Of Egypt’s Canal Of the Pharaohs
Archaeology | Dec 29, 2017 -
Ancient Bronze Ring Bearing The Image Of St. Nicholas May Have Been Worn For Protection
Archaeology | Dec 28, 2021 -
Unique Bronze Age Fortress Discovered In Galway, Ireland
Archaeology | Jun 25, 2022 -
Lost Ancient Pyramid City As Big As Manhattan Discovered In Mexico
Archaeology | Feb 17, 2018