Crusades

Kally: Hi Pope Urban, can I ask you a few things about the crusades?

Pope: Of course dear.

Kally: Okay, so why did they even start?

Pope: Well, I kind of started them. Us Christians wanted to take back Jerusalem.

Kally: When did you call them?

Pope: In 1095.

Kally: Okay, next question. Why did you start them?

Pope: Well Alexius, of the Byzantine, wrote me saying that he needed knights. That the Turks were pushing in. So he needed help to keep the empire together.

Kally: And you sent them?

Pope: Yes.

Kally: Okay, them what?

Pope: Well a band of Radicals tried to take over the church. In 1056, it lead to the great Schism, and a huge fight. Then it finally led to the crusades. I told the people that if you die in a crusade battle, you will be saved in God’s eyes.

Kally: But that’s not true….

Pope: But it worked didn’t it? Tons of people went, but a lot of them died before they even got there…The first people they attacked were the non-believers, or the Jews. They stole what they could from them too.

Kally: Then…?

Pope: A little while later, Alexius wanted 300 elite men. But…I gave in 60,00 Catholic men. In 1097, they reached Nicia. They tried to attack but gave up and ended up moving on. Then there was the battle of Dorelaen. Theres not much to say there….And then finally they took Jerusalem! They held it for a while, and there were more crusades too. Not really an exact number, but the happened over 200 years. Knowledge that was lost there was found again, as well as wealth and trade.

Kally: So it actually was a good thing? We rediscovered knowledge and trade?

Pope: Yes mam.

Kally: Okay, thank you!