Kennedy Smith Global Honors 9th 4/3/11

The crusades were a series of holy wars between the Persians and the Christians to get the holy land of Jerusalem back. They were fought for over three hundred years. The crusades had many effects on the aspect of life. The crusades became active as a fight to get the holy land back from the Persians after they came through and took it over. While taking it over they persecuted and tortured many of the Christians. Pope Urban II sent a message while the gist of it was that the Persians have taken over Jerusalem and they needed to get it back. The Pope also stated that God wanted them to go out and fight. As stated in document 2 he says that God would like for them to go out and fight for it back. The Persians along with killing out the Christians they burnt down churches of God. Pope Urban II says that Jerusalem deserved to be liberated. The pope and his powers tried to give an inducement to going out and fighting for the holy land, he said that children and wives would be protected and that they will save all personal possessions. The Christian people reacted as they should do what God and the Pope would want them to, they set out and fought for Jerusalem. The reaction to the Crusades is that there were good reasons for them but that the way they were carried out was sporadic, somewhat ineffectual, only somewhat, because Europe was never fully conquered, and what had been conquered was taken back, poorly executed, and full of abuses on the part of the soldiers. As stated in document 5 the Priest Fulcher described the scene of the crusades as men parting from their wives, children, and sadness was for those who remained and they joy was for those who departed. Fulcher also said This is the Lords doing, and it was marvelous in our eyes. In conclusion the Crusades were a very significant event that still is never ending. People always still are fighting because of religious reasons. God is an immortal impact on many people. He has the significance in many peoples lives to make them make many decisions that could have been settled just be talking, and reasoning things out.