... wore a red cloth cross-sewn on their tunics to indicate that they had assumed the cross and were soldiers of Christ. The many causes of the Crusades were complex, but prevailing religious beliefs were clearly of major importance. The Crusaders continued an older tradition of the pilgrimage to the Holy Land, which was often imposed as a penance. The Crusades were equally a result of economic circumstances. The response of the European nobility to the Pope's summons to retake the Holy Land was overwhelming; thousands had enrolled in the venture. By 1096, the First Crusade was underway. On the road to Jerusalem, the crusaders fought a series of battles with the Moslems and laid siege to the wealthy coastal cities. The crusaders, however, did not abandon their original plan of liberating Jerusalem. This plan was accomplished after six weeks of fighting and the Crusaders had achieved their goal. Soon after ...

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