Urban II: Call to Crusade (1095) Commentary by Michael Lower, University of Minnesota

Impact

Urban’s message at Clermont was revolutionary. By offering a spiritual reward to wage war, he was declaring that violence could be righteous and even a form of penance—a way of redressing sin akin to prayer or fasting. Urban’s promotion of sacred violence marked a turning point in Christian thinking about the legitimate use of force. It certainly provoked a massive response. The first wave of crusaders set out in spring 1096. Sometimes called the People’s Crusade, it consisted of some trained troops but many more poor and ill-prepared men and women under the leadership of popular preachers, such as Peter the Hermit. A second wave of crusaders departed for the East in late summer 1096. Dominating these forces were powerful nobles—among them Godfrey of Bouillon, Bohemond of Taranto, and Raymond of Saint Gilles—who commanded contingents of knights. We can only guess at the size of the First Crusade. Recent estimates suggest that around one hundred twenty thousand people...