Crusades: Military Strategy or Religious Ideology?

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Analyzing the Historical Background
Crusades and Strategy
Religious Morale and Ideology
Conclusion
Reference List

Introduction

The role of religious ideology in crusades played a defining role, as the troops mainly involved peasants, vassals, and followers of the Christian church. In fact, numerous factors made people join this campaign, and the key one is closely linked with the necessity to recapture the Holy Land from the hands of Muslims. Considering the fact that Europeans managed to arrange eight crusades and change the political image in Europe and in the Middle East, the scales of these crusades were immense. Nevertheless, the key success factor is not defined, as while some researchers believe that the success of the campaign was defined by talented strategic regulation, the others believe that religious ideology and morale were the main aspects of military strategy.

Analyzing the Historical Background

The main aim of the European powers was the recapturing of the Holy Sepulcher, as well as the lowering of Muslim influence in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Surely, the religious background of the Crusades was important for the church, while peasants, vassals, and landlords were looking for material benefits. Hence, the church representatives used religious reasoning for stimulating the material interests of those who could be a part of the army. Hence, the Bible was cited in order to attract the attention of those who believed in God, and who wished to get some benefits for fulfilling the “God’s Will”: You must suffer many things for my name. Be not ashamed to speak before me, for I will give you what you shall say. Great will be your reward” (Acts 9: 16). So, the rumors started spreading that those who participated in the crusades will get a sufficient reward. Most wished to get land or financial compensation. Moreover, remission of all the sins was promised:

In March 1095 at the Council of Piacenza, ambassadors sent by Byzantine Emperor Alexius I called for help with defending his empire against the Seljuk Turks. Later that year, at the Council of Clermont, Pope Urban II called upon all Christians to join a war against the Turks, promising those who died in the endeavor would receive immediate remission of their sins. (Hill, 286)

Crusades and Strategy

First, it should be stated that assessment of strategy can not be performed from the perspectives of assessing every battle and making the only image of the entire campaign, however, the only fact that may be stated is based on the notion that strategy itself was rather primitive. (France, 2009) The main aim of the strategy was to surround a city and make it surrender by keeping a siege. In general, the strategic approach was used only by the most talented commanders, as the others mainly relied on the amount of warriors, and hoped for the good God’s will. This may be observed in accordance with the fact that the result of the battles was defined by the size of the armies, as tactical advantages were used only by the most experienced commanders, while ordinary soldiers wished to avoid serious battles, and come back home for the promised reward. (Riley-Smith, 1993)

Though, the strategic approach towards arranging battles was highly valued by commanders, nevertheless, the lack of experience among warriors made any strategic initiative useless and helpless. However, religious motivation was regarded as a more powerful tool for stimulating victories of the European armies.

Religious Morale and Ideology

In general, religious morale may be regarded as something ephemeral and insignificant nowadays, however, the Christian world of the XI-XII centuries was entirely based on religion. (Rogerson, 2010) The crusade itself had mainly religious background, though the deeper reasons were political and territorial. The influence of the church was immense, as the priesthood managed to arrange a military campaign larger then UNO and NATO together can even imagine.

People were stimulated by words from Bible, and the necessity of the entire campaign was explained using the religious motifs and the necessity to recapture the Holy Land, as the God’s Sepulcher was in the hand of Muslims, which Christian world could not tolerate. This was the intrinsic motivation, while the extrinsic were also reasoned by the words from Bible. Moreover, priesthood justified the murder of non-Christians, claiming that this will only improve the world, and it will be regarded as a service for God’s sake. (Riley-Smith, 1999) Even further creation of vassal states was explained by the holy necessity to keep the lands protected from heterodoxies; though, these territories were used as the sufficient income source for European landlords. Hence, he religious morale and ideology was the defining factor for that epoch.

Conclusion

Most actions by the landlords and influential personalities can not be explained by pure humanism, altruism and a wish to remiss their sins. People wished to take care of their everyday life, earn their living, have particular guarantees etc. In fact, the power of Christianity was immense, however, people wished to explain their material interests with religious ideology concepts, and even the military campaigns were mainly arranged on the basis of ideology and belief that the God will reward all the efforts.

Reference List

Hill, Rosalind. The Deeds of the Franks and other Pilgrims to Jerusalem. London: Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd., 1962.

France, John. The Roots of Victory. Boston: General Books, 2009.

Riley-Smith, Jonathan. The First Crusade and the Idea of Crusading. London: The Athlone Press, 1993.

Riley-Smith, Jonathan, ed. The Oxford History of the Crusades. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.

Rogerson, Barnaby. The Last Crusaders: The Hundred Year Battle for the Centre of the World, Little, Brown. New York: Overlook Press, 2010.

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Crusades: Military Strategy or Religious Ideology?

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