were the crusades just wars?

Answer 1

The Crusades were holy wars waged by Western Europeans against the Muslims with the primary objective of gaining control of the Holy Land (Palestine). Although there were political and economic motivations behind the Crusades, these military expeditions by zealous, if misguided Christians, were definitely religious in nature. Most of the Crusaders were fired by a real concern for the Holy Land.

There were several causes or motivations that combined to produce the Crusades:

(1) The desire for a re-united Christendom.
(2) The desire to rescue the Holy Land and make it safe for pilgrims.
(3) The desire for land and riches.
(4) The desire for military adventure.

Answer 2

The Crusades were "armed pilgrimages." This meant they always ended up wars. Official Crusades were called by the Pope.To say they were just political is just plain wrong and is imposing modern intent on deeply religious people who genuinely thought they were doing the right thing. About the only people who could be accussed of using the Crusades for political gain were some of the Italian states like Venice (who were MUCH more sophisticated than other Europeans of the time). However, this realy only envolved the 4th Crusade (which attacked Constantinople) and many Crusades came overland or used non-Italian shipping. Crusading was very much seen as the "Thing to do" and the belief was that it would have your sins forgiven if you "took the cross". There were actualy Christian Crusader kings of Jerusalem at this time!!! Trevor Jones of Monty Python fame (now an Oxford history lecturer) has made an outstanding (and entertaining!) documentary series on the Crusades - I suggest you check it out.
Remember not ALL crusades were against Muslim states, they also attacked European Pagans (Lithuania) Eastern Christians (Byzantines), and heretical Christians (Cathars) and many Jews were also slaughted.........

Answer 3

they were fought for the same reason we fight wars today. political gain, trade routes to commodities, and to divert attention to overseas "peril".
as often as not, christian cities were attacked by the crusaders. because they were Turkish and presented a competition to the Italian trade routes. it was the Italians who had the ships to take the crusader armies to the holy land. so the crusaders attacked whomever the Italians told them too.

Answer 4

No. They were long journeys on horseback or foot, where the Crusaders travelled from different countries in Europe to Israel to 'free' Jerusalem from the Moslems.