Why Are The Crusades So Called Holy Wars

Kelsey Johnson
Mr. Long
World History
May, 17, 2018
Crusades
The crusades, or so called holy wars. But were they really? Or were they wars based upon greed and desire? The reason for them has be argued by many historians for many years. They took place between 1095 and 1207, during this time a feudal system was established. This means lots of poor people and people in debt. The crusades were a great way to disguise a way to make fast money and get away from powerful lords. Which is exactly what most people went into them for. The first crusade was the most successful. Meaning they captured back Jerusalem for the christians, but in the process they also established four crusader states. Along with that “the Jewish and Muslim population of
The goal was to capture Edessa but they did not succeed. It lasted from 1144 through 1155 and was meaningless, more or less other than lives lost. The main probable reason was for men to get away from their lords and make some money to get out of their situation. Again for greed and personal gain.
The third crusade, additionally was very likely participated in by many to escape their home lives. Most serfs worked long hours in the field and got very little profit so it is clear why they would want to get away. Yet it was beneficial to the Christian community as well. They were led by Richard the Lionhearted and they seized and obtained control of many cities like Jaffa and Acre. On the contrary they didn't capture Jerusalem but they gained nonetheless.
All of the crusades were very violent as well. Many people of both sides were slaughtered. The soldiers in the holy wars were terrible to those they were attacking, like any war, but shouldn’t a holy war be different? Nicholas Mesarites writes “the streets, squares, houses.., sacred places, nunneries, houses for nuns and monks, sacred churches, even the Great Church of God and the imperial palace were filled with men of the enemy, all of them maddened by war and murderous in spirit...” These men were supposed to be fighting for their religion in which you are supposed to be kind to fellow
She talks about the injustices of men that “seduced the Christians with empty words” they led them into constraints by vain preaching to convince them to help liberate Jerusalem. Not only the ordinary groups of people fell a fool to these words but so did men of power, kings, dukes, marquises. Men of the church joined as well such as ministers, abbots, bishops, and archbishops to show their allegiance to God. She tells how the intentions of the men varied but few were after what they claimed. They were rather going for knowledge of new lands, escape from poverty or hard straits at home, they fought “not only against the enemies of Christ’s cross but even against the friends of the Christian name, wherever opportunity appeared to relieve their poverty.” The men just wanted to “escape their service” and to flee from troubles and anxieties. “A few could, with difficulty, be found who had not bowed their knees to Baal”, Baal being a false God. She feels very strongly that the men attending and participating in these wars were not doing so for Christ but for personal gain, greed, selfishness, and