First Crusade Revision
The Rise of the Seljuk Turks
-Turks exploded into Asia Minor in the 11th century
-Romanos VI Diogenes, Byzantine emperor, led an attack against the Turks at the battle of
Manzikert, 1071, but were massacred.
-Turks now occupied all of Asia Minor
-Alexios Komenos managed to regain some of the land by 1090
-Byzantine had previously used mercenaries but were now appealing to the west for military aid
-Alexios I Komnenos appealed to the West to help him repel the Turkish invaders advancing in
Anatolia
Religion- 11th century
-European society was occupied by intense, religious devotion.
-present reality of hell and purgatory
-belief in indulgences to offer shorter time in purgatory
Call of the First Crusade
-papal reform movement- wanted to restore papal authority that was undermined in 11th century
-Gregory VII had already promised Alexios help before Urban
-Gregory became distracted by the Investiture Contest, 1075, with the Holy Roman Emperor,
Henry IV, leading to the appointment of an Antipope Clement III
-crusade would demonstrate moral and spiritual power of Pope Urban
-Papacy would be seen as the liberator of christendom in the east- reuniting eastern and
western church
-Alexius’ appeal of help illustrated the maltreatment of christians and their loss of land to the
seljuks
Council at Clermont, France 1096
-Urban preached of wanting peace from the restless fighting/violence
-church had newly decreed that christians could kill non-christians- permission to kill muslims
-wanted liberation for christians in the east who were allegedly being persecuted
-wanted liberation of Jerusalem from seljuk turks
Response
-remission of sins- spiritual age
-Urban called together religious zeal- increased popularity of pilgrimage(formed core idea)
-’deus vult’ God wills it
-material gain- leaders had materialistic motives
The Rise of the Seljuk Turks
-Turks exploded into Asia Minor in the 11th century
-Romanos VI Diogenes, Byzantine emperor, led an attack against the Turks at the battle of
Manzikert, 1071, but were massacred.
-Turks now occupied all of Asia Minor
-Alexios Komenos managed to regain some of the land by 1090
-Byzantine had previously used mercenaries but were now appealing to the west for military aid
-Alexios I Komnenos appealed to the West to help him repel the Turkish invaders advancing in
Anatolia
Religion- 11th century
-European society was occupied by intense, religious devotion.
-present reality of hell and purgatory
-belief in indulgences to offer shorter time in purgatory
Call of the First Crusade
-papal reform movement- wanted to restore papal authority that was undermined in 11th century
-Gregory VII had already promised Alexios help before Urban
-Gregory became distracted by the Investiture Contest, 1075, with the Holy Roman Emperor,
Henry IV, leading to the appointment of an Antipope Clement III
-crusade would demonstrate moral and spiritual power of Pope Urban
-Papacy would be seen as the liberator of christendom in the east- reuniting eastern and
western church
-Alexius’ appeal of help illustrated the maltreatment of christians and their loss of land to the
seljuks
Council at Clermont, France 1096
-Urban preached of wanting peace from the restless fighting/violence
-church had newly decreed that christians could kill non-christians- permission to kill muslims
-wanted liberation for christians in the east who were allegedly being persecuted
-wanted liberation of Jerusalem from seljuk turks
Response
-remission of sins- spiritual age
-Urban called together religious zeal- increased popularity of pilgrimage(formed core idea)
-’deus vult’ God wills it
-material gain- leaders had materialistic motives
