The Crusades were a series of battles for control of the Holy Lands and the main prize was the city of Jerusalem – many Crusades took place over the centuries but only a few had any successes with many failing or being complete disasters.
However the First Crusades was not one of them and was a very successful Crusade, not only were important cities like Eddessa a city in Upper Mesopotamia and Antiochian re-captured by the Christian Crusaders, but they went on to win the ultimate prize by capturing Jerusalem in the Year 1099.
An earlier expedition to the Holy Lands that took place just prior to the ‘First Crusade’ was called the ‘Peoples Crusade’ also known as the peasants’ crusade which was really just a group of poorly equipped and trained medieval people mostly peasants, that were quickly slaughtered by the superior Muslim armies.
Duke of Normandy
The official ‘First Crusade’ that followed the ‘Peoples Crusade’ was a highly organized affair with well-trained soldiers and knights from across Europe taking part.
Soldiers of the ‘Peoples Crusade’ were quickly slaughtered by the superior Muslim armies
Unlike other Crusades in which Kings were the leaders and in control of crusader armies it was actually the nobility of Europe that controlled the First Crusades, Nobles from countries such as France, Flanders, and Italy took up the great cause.
Pope Urban II set the First Crusades in motion in 1095
These Nobles from across Europe had made the First Crusade a huge success story and they did what many others including famous and powerful kings could not – they managed to take back control of the Holy lands and ultimately won the biggest prize of them all when they recaptured Jerusalem in 1099!