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What prompted Urban II to start the Crusades?

  • Trade routes control

  • Muslim incursions

  • Personal vision

  • Empire expansion

Answer

Muslim incursions into Christian territories and the Seljuk Turks' capture of Jerusalem, a city holy to Christians, prompted Pope Urban II to initiate the Crusades in 1095. He aimed to unite Western European Christians and reclaim the Holy Land from Muslim control, setting off a series of religious wars that had a profound impact on both Europe and the Middle East.
The Enlightened Pontiff: Pope Urban II Trivia Challenge

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