The History of the Crusades, Part 1: Pope Urban II and the Birth of Holy War

In November 1095, Pope Urban II delivered a sermon that would echo across centuries. What began as a call to aid the crumbling Byzantine Empire became something far greater: a holy war to reclaim Jerusalem, unite Latin Christendom, and promise salvation to those who took the cross.

In this first episode of our Crusades series, we explore the world that led to that moment—declining empires, rising powers, and the tangled politics of East and West. This is the story of how the First Crusade began.

0:00 The Speech That Changed History
4:33 Crisis in the East
15:30 The Rise of the Seljuk Turks
20:39 The Papacy’s Opportunity
26:55 The Theology of Crusade
30:29 The People’s Crusade
34:36 The Princes’ Crusade
38:36 The Siege of Nicaea

#History #Crusades #Documentary