Crusades In 1095, Pope Urban II called for the First Crusade in a sermon at the Council of Clermont. He encouraged military support for the Byzantine Empire and its Emperor, AlexiosI, who needed reinforcements for his conflict with westward migrating Turks colonizing Anatolia. One of Urban's aims was to guarantee pilgrims access to the Eastern Mediterranean holy sites that were under Muslim control but scholars disagree as to whether this was the primary motive for Urban or those who heeded his call. Urban's strategy may have been to unite the Eastern and Western branches of Christendom, which had been divided since
Simon II of Clermont-Nesle king engaged the best available lawyers for his case. The conflict led in 1309 to the moving of the Papal court, under Pope Clement V (c. 1264–1314), to Avignon, outside the king's realm. Simon was a son of Simon II of Clermont, Seigneur of Ailly, Maulette and Nesle (c. 1216–1286) by Adele of Montfort (d. 1279), daughter of Amaury VI of Montfort. The father was a counsellor of King "Saint" Louis IX of France and was appointed regent ("lieutenant") while the king went away on the Seventh Crusade. Simon had three brothers and at least one sister, whose son was