The Crusades: How They Started, Who Participated and Their Effect on European Politics
The political climate of Europe in the year 1095 CE was fragmented and bloody, despite the recent efforts of Pope Gregory VII to unite all Christian kingdoms under the banner of the Church, which came to be known as Christendom. England had been united by William the Conqueror 30 years earlier. The French nobility had been fighting amongst themselves for small estates. Italy was little more than a collection of city-sates, also fighting amongst themselves. Pope Urban had tried to stem the tide of fighting with his "Truce of God" which prohibited fighting from Sunday to Wednesday, and on any day if it involved "civilians" (i.e. monks, priests, women, merchants and laborers). [2] To the East, the Byzantine Empire was being encroached upon by the Turks. The current Emperor, Alexius Comnenus, was desperate to preserve his quickly-disintegrating borders from the Turks, who were recent converts to Islam. Alexius appealed to Pope Urban in the west for aid.[2] Urban recognized this as a chance to get the perpetually fighting knights out of Europe, by allowing them to pursue their pastime in faraway lands that belonged to non-Christians. The Crusades were founded on a lie. In Pope Urban's speech at the Council of Clermont
[8] Brehier, Louis. "The Crusades." 2003. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04543c.htm [7] Madden, Thomas F. "The Real History of the Crusades." 2002. http://www.crisismagazine.com/april2002/cover.htm [4] Foster, M.A. "The Foes of the Crusaders." (1998) http://www.medievalcrusades.com/foes.htm [3] Foster, M.A. "The Crusades Begin." (1998) http://www.medievalcrusades.com/crusadesbegin.htm [5] Halsall, Paul. "Emico and the Slaughter of the Rhineland Jews." 2000. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1096jews.html
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2067
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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