By way of launching into the world of crusades and crusaders, we’ll explore this crucial theme. What was happening in the eastern Mediterranean in the late 11th century that provoked such concern and alarm? To what extent were these fears justified, in the minds of westerners? How do they lead up to the launching of the legendary “First Crusade”?
How do you account for the outcome of the First Crusade, namely that the crucesignati succeeded in achieving their goal of ‘assisting suffering brethren in the East,’ and capturing Jerusalem? The Crucesignati, or those signed by the cross (The New Concise History of the Crusades) On the surface, it seems totally implausible that they would have achieved this “victory in the East,” but yet they did — or rather the minority that managed to survive through the experience. So, what were the key factors that enabled this, as you look at the expedition as a whole? In short, answer the question: “Why did the First Crusade hit the bull’s eye?