The Crusades Uncovered: How Pope Urban II Sparked the Holy War 🔥

In November 1095, Pope Urban II delivered a sermon that would echo across centuries. What began as a call to aid the crumbling Byzantine Empire became something far greater: a holy war to reclaim Jerusalem, unite Latin Christendom, and promise salvation to those who took the cross. In this first episode of our Crusades series, we explore the world that led to that moment—declining empires, rising powers, and the tangled politics of East and West. This is the story of how the First Crusade began. 0:00 The Speech That Changed History 4:33 Crisis in the East 15:30 The Rise of the Seljuk Turks 20:39 The Papacy’s Opportunity 26:55 The Theology of Crusade 30:29 The People’s Crusade 34:36 The Princes’ Crusade 38:36 The Siege of Nicaea #History #Crusades #Documentary