Why did the pope call for a crusade?

Responses

to establish trading empires in the Middle East

to establish trading empires in the Middle East

to free Jerusalem from the Turks

to free Jerusalem from the Turks

to convert Muslims to Christianity

to convert Muslims to Christianity

to establish a new base for the Roman Catholic Church

to establish a new base for the Roman Catholic Church

1 answer

The Pope called for a crusade primarily to free Jerusalem from the Turks. The First Crusade, initiated by Pope Urban II in 1095, was aimed at reclaiming the Holy Land from Muslim control and protecting Christian pilgrims traveling to sacred sites. While there were multiple motivations behind the crusades, including religious fervor and the desire to assert Christian dominance, the immediate goal of the First Crusade was the liberation of Jerusalem.