How did the Great Schism of 1054 cause the First Crusade?
1 Answer
The great Schism was a very minor factor as a cause of the First Crusade.
Explanation:
The Pope may have felt that the Crusade to retake Jerusalem from the Seljuk Turks might help heal the Schism between the Roman Catholics and the Greek Orthodox Christians.
The main cause of the Crusade was the aggressive actions of the Seljuk Turks. The Turks had taken over large segments of Turkey that had been part of the Eastern Roman Empire. They had also conjured Syria and Israel including Jerusalem that had been part of Fatima Islamic Empire.
When the Seljuk Turks conquered Jerusalem they tried to turn Jerusalem into a Holy City like Mecca where only Muslims were allowed. This angered the Western Christians sparking the Crusades.
The Eastern Roman Empire felt that the Crusades would restore their control over the Middle East. The Western Catholic armies however did not return the conquered lands to the Eastern Roman Empire but craved out kingdoms for themselves.
The Crusade rather than doing anything to heal the Great Schism only increased the divide between the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.
