What was the goal of the First Crusade?
1 Answer
To recapture the holy land.
Explanation:
The Muslims has invaded and conquered the holy land (Jerusalem and surrounding areas), and the pope at the time (Urban II) called for all Christians to drive them out. This first resulted in the people's Crusade.
The people's crusade was started by a man called Peter the Hermit, and basically he got a bunch of ordinary people (ie not soldiers) to follow him to the Holy Land, with the idea that they would win because God would protect them. This didn't happen, (they didn't even make it past Turkey) and they were slaughtered badly. This is why this is not referred to as the First Crusade.
The First Crusade as a year later and it was soldiers (primarily Normans) and was a lot more successful. The Normans, who were former Vikings, were on a roll in Europe taking over England and large parts of Italy. They were probably the most seasons warriors in the western world at the time. They were success in taking over Jerusalem and large parts of the Holy Land, even making a Kingdom of Jerusalem. This was the most successful crusade and in fact the only one that accomplished all of it's main goals.
