Essay on The Crusades

The Crusades were a turning point in history. The Crusades were a series of religious wars between Christians and Muslims, which started primarily to secure control of holy sites considered sacred by both groups. The Crusades affected the European countries by Pope Urban wanting to unite Europe by liberating Jerusalem, Western Europe had emerged as a significant power in its own right, and the entire structure of European society changed during the 12th and 13th centuries.

First of all, Pope Urban wanted to consolidate Europe by freeing Jerusalem, meaning taking it over. The first official crusade began with a call to arms from Pope Urban II in 1095 CE.“ This was partly because Urban wanted to unite Europe, and he had figured out the lesson the rest of us learn...the best way to get people to unite is to give them a common enemy. So Urban called on all the..knights and nobility of Europe, and, he said unto his people: ‘Let us go forth and help the Byzantines because then maybe they will acknowledge my awesomeness and get rid of their stupid Not Having Me as Pope thing, and while we are at it, let’s liberate Jerusalem!’...” The Turks attacked Jerusalem, and the Byzantine empire called the Pope for help. The Pope saw this as an opportunity to unite Europe through a common enemy. “The Pope called on Western Christians to take up arms to aid the Byzantines and recapture the Holy Land from Muslim control. This has marked the beginning of the Crusades.” Europe practically helped the Crusades commence. Therefore, including Europe during the Crusades would, of course, affect it in many ways." The power of the royal houses of Europe and the centralization of government increased thanks to an increase in taxes, the acquisition of wealth in the Middle East, and the imposition of tariffs on trade. The death of many nobles during crusades and the fact that many mortgaged their land to the crown in order to pay for their campaigns and those of their followers also increased royal power. There was a decline in the system of feudalism, too, as many nobles sold their lands to fund their travels, freeing their serfs in the process.” Of course, as a result of Europe being involved with the Crusades, this information has made quite a turn. The investment of wealth in the Middle East; the terrible deaths of nobles during the Crusades, and many mortgaged their land to the crown so they could pay for their campaigns, etc. Getting to the point, the Crusades have affected Europe in many ways thought was possible. According to Crash Course, at the time, Europe had internal problems. The strong influence of religion in Europe was a reason to attack. The different countries politically were not of one mind, so the best way to unite them was to have a religious crusade and opportunity for them to join arms against one common enemy, the Turks that took over Jerusalem. Thus, this clearly shows us that Pope Urban II was the one who basically debuted the Crusades. Surely, Europe’s best way for them to actually ‘unite’ and take over Jerusalem was simply for them to have the same enemy as other countries, calling them and sending them to the first official crusade.

Secondly, Western Europe had appeared as a significant power in its own right. Europe came to the Byzantine Empire’s rescue to help confront the Turks. “Alexius sent envoys to Pope Urban II asking for mercenary troops from the West to help confront the Turkish threat. Though relations between Christians in the East and West had long been fractious, Alexius’s request came at a time when the situation was improving.” The Byzantine Empire needed Europe’s help fighting off the Turks. “The Crusades set the stage for several religious knightly military orders, including the Knights Templar, the Teutonic Knights, and the Hospitallers. These groups defended the Holy Land and protected pilgrims traveling to and from the region.” After a tremendous speech from Pope Urban II, Europe’s power was demonstrated at that time, protecting Jerusalem and involving many knights to do so.

Moreover, the entire structure of European society changed during the 12th and 13th centuries. This change was attributed largely to the Crusades.“Historians now, however, tend to view the Crusades as only one, albeit significant, factor in Europe’s development. It is likely that the disappearance of old families and the appearance of new ones can be traced in part to the Crusades, but generalizations must be made with caution.” This proves that the society of Europe has indeed changed. After the Crusades or because of the Crusades, it has affected Europe. “It should, moreover, be remembered that, while some Crusaders sold or mortgaged their property, usually to ecclesiastical foundations, others bequeathed it to relatives. The loss of life was, without doubt, considerable; many Crusaders, however, did return to their homes.” One of the changes of society was the mortgaged or the selling. But yet still had trade with the Muslim world and led to the establishment of trade depots beyond the Crusade frontiers. Even though the Crusades’ effect on Europe had many disadvantages but still had advantages. Therefore, European society changed, and the Crusades were partly the result of that. 

The Crusades influenced the European countries because Pope Urban wanted to unify Europe by taking over Jerusalem, Western Europe had arisen as a substantial power, and the whole structure of European society altered during the 12th and 13th centuries due to the Crusades. The Crusades are still considered a major turning point in Western history because of their long-lasting effects on Europe, the Middle East, as well as on the Christian and Muslim worlds.