Calling The First Crusade (1070-99) Flashcards
What was the outcome of the Battle of Manzikert in 1071?
Romanos IV was captured, the Byzantine army destroyed, and control over Anatolia collapsed.
What cities did Byzantium gradually lose after the Battle of Manzikert?
Key cities such as Nicaea (c.1080) and Antioch (1085) were lost, bringing the Turkish frontier close to Constantinople by the 1090s.
What resources did Byzantium lose after the Battle of Manzikert?
Byzantium lost access to vital resources, manpower, and revenue from the East.
What action did Alexius I take in 1095?
Alexius I appealed for military help against the Turks.
What simultaneous threats did Byzantium face in the early 1090s?
Turkish warlords in Anatolia and the Pechenegs in the Balkans.
What was the purpose of Alexius’s envoys sent to the Council of Piacenza?
To ask Pope Urban II for military aid against the Turks.
What did Urban II emphasize in his response at Clermont?
He emphasized the suffering of Eastern Christians and appealed to Latin audiences through stories of Turkish atrocities.
What limitation is noted regarding the Battle of Manzikert and the subsequent crisis?
While Manzikert initiated the crisis, it was the immediate collapse of Byzantine defenses in the 1090s that forced Alexius to seek help.
What was Urban II’s context during the Investiture Conflict?
Urban inherited a weakened imperial rival—Henry IV—due to civil war and excommunication.
How did the Crusade serve Urban II’s goals?
It was a way to assert papal leadership over a united Christian cause, without relying on secular rulers.
What was the purpose of the Crusade in relation to knightly aggression?
The Crusade offered a holy purpose for violence, turning war into an act of religious devotion.
What requirements did Urban II impose on crusaders?
Crusaders were required to take vows, wear crosses, and act under spiritual—not secular—command.
What did Urban II emphasize in his messaging at Clermont?
He emphasized remission of sins and a new path to salvation through military service.
What limitation is noted regarding Urban II’s claims of helping Byzantium?
The Crusade also served to increase papal influence and reclaim authority from the emperor.
What was the status of Jerusalem under Seljuk control from 1071 to 1098?
The Seljuks were hostile to Christian pilgrims and reportedly attacked several expeditions.
Why was the Holy Sepulchre significant to Christians?
It was central to Christian devotion, and its liberation became a powerful emotional and spiritual goal.
What apocalyptic beliefs were prevalent around the year 1100?
Many believed the end of the world was near, and Jerusalem’s liberation was part of a divine plan.
What did Urban II’s speech at Clermont focus on?
It made Jerusalem, not Byzantium, the center of the Crusade’s purpose.
What limitation is noted regarding the recapture of Jerusalem?
Jerusalem had been in Muslim hands since 638, and its recapture was motivated more by spiritual concerns than Byzantine politics.
