Those who fought in the Crusades and those who decided Christians should fight in the Crusades perhaps had a different set of goals in some instances. The purpose of the Crusades—according to Pope Urban II—was to wrest the Holy Land of Jerusalem from the Muslims to regain Christian control of Jerusalem.
Though this may have been important to many crusaders, the promise that the pope made to them that "All who die by the way, whether by land or by sea, or in battle against the [Muslims], shall have immediate [forgiveness] of sins" certainly was a large factor in their commitment to the Crusades.
As a result of the Crusades, the entire structure of European society was altered. Because of the significant amount of death that occurred during the Crusades, old families were essentially wiped out and new families began. Likewise, because many crusaders sold land to ecclesiastical groups and others in order to fund their trips, a balance in economic classes was forged, with those from lower classes having the opportunity to buy land and move up.
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