The Crusades were a series of wars fought both religiously and politically between 1096 and 1291, called by the Pope for control of the Holy Land. The Crusades weren’t purely based on religion—although it was a supporting factor. There are a few reasons Europeans took part in the Crusades other than for religious gain. Merchants were thriving in this dark time for Europeans, their role in society morphed to an even more important role than they already had, but they eventually became a cause of some of the worst battles during the Crusades.
‘The Crusades, some of the bloodiest wars of the middle ages were not just about religion, they were also about different groups of merchants seeking to gain control of the major trade routes,” (Newman). With the use of primary and secondary sources, the cause of such massacres was for not only the sake of being forgiven but for their own personal gain.
Besides the promise Pope Urban II had made to his partisans, his followers had other reasons in mind why they took part in the Crusades. Europeans took the offer as an opportunity to better themselves, their life at least (“The Crusades”). They were given the chance to travel and make money. European nobles knew their children would have more luck with new land in the Middle East (“The Crusades”). Unfortunately, Christians attacked their fellow Christians for political and economic reasons too. Most reasons involved political or economic issues between the two.
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Trade increased, new routes were open to merchants. The chance for a favorable outcome was very much possible. During the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, merchants’ role in society became more beneficial and influential. Being a merchant meant you stood higher than peasants but lower than nobles, which was a good place. Merchants soon interlinked themselves with noblemen, their children intermarrying a noble’s (Newman). A lot of their conquests led to bloodshed, leading to some of the worst fights for major trade routes.
The Rhineland Massacres or The German Crusade of 1096 was redundant for Christians. Christians in France had attempted manslaughter, only to kill 11-12 Jews in the city. Christians and their view on Jews was a component in their urge to exact pain on them: “In parts of France and Germany, they [Jews] were perceived to be as much of an enemy as Muslims,”. Other reasons include that some Christians were indebted to Jewish moneylenders. Catholics were ultimately against the act of lending other’s money but inevitably borrowed from Jews. The Crusaders seemed to rationalize killing Jews for their Catholic mission. There is a multiplicity of reasons the Crusades were placed into action, political imperialism is believed to be one.
