Paul F. Crawford's Four Myths About The Crusades

The hierarchy of the 11th century would dictate that I would follow my monarch’s lead and accept the cross. However, should my King elect not to engage or join the fight then I am not bound to do so even if requested by the Pope or any of his messengers. This was especially true during the years 1095-1096 when Pope Urban II called for a “holy war against Muslim.” Despite the fact that thousands of knights and nobles joined the crusade, the reality was that initially many more did not chose to align with the papacy. The act of war is expensive. Paul F. Crawford in his article the “Four Myths About the Crusades” makes note of a comment made by Fred Cazel who stated, “Few Crusaders had sufficient cash both to pay their obligations at home and