to take back the holy lands from Muslim control
to gain knowledge of the Muslim faith and bring it back to the people of the West
to help Christian people in the West escape poor living conditions
The pope called for the Crusades primarily to take back the holy lands from Muslim control. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns launched by European Christians in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries. The objective was to recapture Jerusalem and other holy sites in the eastern Mediterranean, which were under Muslim rule at the time. While the pope also sought to extend Christian influence and gain knowledge of the Muslim faith, the main motivation behind the Crusades was the desire to reclaim these holy lands. The idea of helping Christian people escape poor living conditions was not a primary motivation for the Crusades, though it may have been a secondary benefit for those who joined the expeditions.
