Christians conducted the First Crusade in response to the call from Pope Urban II to reclaim the Holy Land, particularly Jerusalem, from Muslim control. The Crusaders believed that they were fighting for a righteous cause, to protect and defend Christianity from perceived threats and to secure pilgrimage routes for Christian pilgrims to visit the holy sites in Jerusalem. Additionally, there were also political and socio-economic motivations for participating in the Crusade, such as the promise of land, wealth, and other spoils of war.
