A Papal Cry for Ethnic Cleansing

The 11th century leader Pope Urban II implored the Christian Knights of France to embark upon a crusade against the Muslim Turks, invaders who had occupied the holy land in the Middle East, in order to rid the land of unclean peoples (those not in line with and familiarized with the history of the Christian God’s values), reestablish Christianity in the region, and so that the overpopulation and resulting civil war in France could be put to an end by an outward migration of warriors. 

Urban II declares that the unclean, or those who don’t share the same piety as the Franks, should be expelled from the lands. He states, “You should be moved…by the holy places which are treated with dishonor and irreverently befouled with their uncleanness” (Pope Urban II, E-Res 1). This is a distinct call to arms, and specifically against non-Christians. His references to the site upon which Christ was allegedly crucified, as well as the site’s treatment by the Muslims, show his distaste for the Muslims occupants. 

His goal is to reestablish a Christian kingdom in the Muslim-occupied areas. He recalls the lineage of the Franks by stating, “Let your minds be stirred to bravery by the deeds of your forefathers…who have destroyed [Muslim] kingdoms, and established Christianity in their lands” (Pope Urban II, E-Res 1). This is a suggestion that modern Franks should walk in the footsteps of their ancestors and cleanse the area of Muslim inhabitants. 

His final wish is for overpopulation and civil war under Henry V in France to come to an end by the Franks invading Muslim territory, therefore vacating livable space in his home country. He begs of them, “Your land [France] is shut in on all sides…and is too thickly populated….On this account you kill and devour each other. Let…your civil wars come to an end. Set out on the road…to take that land from the wicked people and make it your own” (Pope Urban II, E-Res 1). This is his final plea to the Franks to move outward and find space for them to settle and spread Christianity.