Welcome to a history of Europe Key Battles, the Siege of Jerusalem of 1099 of the First Crusade.

On the 27th of November 1095, a large crowd of churchmen assembled at the Council of Clement

for a much anticipated speech by their leader, Pope Urban II.

The event did not disappoint. Urban's call to arms to assist their Christian brethren in the

Holy Land was met by great applause. On the spot, several volunteers eagerly stepped forward to pledge their support,

and the enthusiasm for crusade soon spread like wildfire throughout Western Europe.

This historic sermon and a series of others made shortly after were more successful than urban could have imagined.

Tens of thousands took up the challenge and participated in a remarkable campaign which became

known to history as the first crusade. To understand the reason for such a response, it is important

to know about certain events occurring

around Europe in the years before.

So today, I will describe the main events and personalities that helped shape the lead-up to

this event.

In previous podcasts, I described how a reform movement, started by Pope Leo 9th,

transform the papacy from a decadent plaything of the nobility of Rome and emperors in Germany

into an institution more in tune with Christian ethics, and one more independent from outside interference.

The popes allied with the new warrior class, the Normans, who had recently built a powerful new duchy in northern France,

and were far spreading their influence by force of arms around Europe.

The Normans were not always reliable allies, but they were preferable to the alternatives.

The emperors in Germany or Constantinople, who were rivals of the papacy to the inheritance of ancient Rome.

It was the Byzantine Emperor Alexius who triggered the Crusades

by making a request for armed assistance.

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