Crusades

Well, I met Pope Urban II today. It was quite the ordeal. Here's how our interview went:


Me: Hey there! Mind if I ask a couple of questions?
Pope Urban II: Nope, go for it.
Me: First, tell me a little bit about yourself and what you've done!

Pope Urban II

Pope Urban II: I was born around 1042. I was a Roman Pope at the time when Alexius I asked me for some help to fight the Muslim Turks. Now, I know that he was a Byzantine emperor, but I had some of my own motives in my head. I wanted more power. So anyway, I helped this dude out a little bit. In 1095, I called for a crusade to get the Holy Land of Jerusalem back at the Council of Clermont. I received lots of support, and the first crusade was launched!
Me: So how did they go?
Pope Urban II: We weren't hugely successful in conquering what we wanted to conquer, but one good thing came out of these crusades. We brought Europe out of the Dark Ages! When the Crusaders returned, they brought with them knowledge. After so many years of living like barbarians, we finally started to get our culture back to where it was in ancient Rome! Art, architecture, science, math, and things like that started improving. That was the major effect of the Crusades. Without them, we would not have moved on from the Dark Ages for a much longer period. 
Me: Well, that's wonderful! Thank you for your time. 


Pope Urban II was responsible for starting the first Crusades. They continued for over 200 years, and were brutal. The good thing that came out of them was knowledge. Pope Urban II died in 1099.