The Crusade: The Origin

[cacian]

Could we define the crusade as the first true religious war of all wars?

In other words could WAR find its true origin in Religion and so by this could one conclude that if there was no religions there would be no wars?

[Charles Darnay]

If you are suggesting that there were no wars before the 11th century AD, than you really need to look at world history.

[cacian]

I am suggesting that a war true origin is religion and the Crusade is one the most obvious one I could think of at the time.

[Charles Darnay]

Well, history is still against you there.

Looking at the Mesopotamian area - the great wars fought there were not for religion - for there was no major establishments of religion - but for fertile land and power over other people. (See the Assyrian wars, or the Babylonian conquests &c.)

In the Archaic and Classical period - the great wars (the Persian wars, the Peloponnesian Wars, Alexander the Great's wars) - again, land , power, and a bit of cultural influence.

In Rome - the major wars were all for land.

Even Mohammad's conquests of c. 628 was for power, not religion.

In fact, relatively speaking, there have only been a few wars fought over religion, and these have all been minor. I would argue that the Crusades was not fought over religion, but rather religion was the banner that rallied the troops. It was about regaining land that the Christians believed was their right.

[OrphanPip]

Well the Crusades are unique in the sense that they weren't really fought by a national power on the European side, but rather an assortment of multinational forces that were united by religion. Moreover, the Pope was largely behind organizing them at first.

Politically the first Crusade was an assertion of the Papacy's independence, and higher authority, to the secular powers of Europe. The Church promised absolution of sins for crusaders, so religion certainly played a major role in organizing and motivating the wars. The Byzantine Emperor wrote to the Pope himself to ask for help against the Muslims, and Urban II sort of took up the mantle of Supreme Commander of Europe (or at least he tried to). The Crusades are at least a testament to the political power of the Church in the late Middle Ages.

However, if one wants to say the war was fought over theological differences with Muslims, I'd have to disagree. The role of religion in the crusades wasn't that simple.

[cafolini]

I agree with most of what Charles said about this matter. Religion was sometimes the banner, and comparatively speaking, the crusades were just one of those few occasions when it was used.

[Phocion]

I would say our narcissism of small differences was the igniting flame of war, religion was just the ideal way for this to manifest itself.