First Crusade in Asia Minor — Nicaea and Antioch — required large numbers of soldiers with experience in siege warfare, precisely the type of force recruited by Urban in France in his call to arms of 1095/6. First Crusade The First Crusade (1095–1099) was the first of a number of crusades that attempted to recapture the Holy Land, called for by Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont in 1095. Urban called for a military expedition to aid the Byzantine Empire, which had recently lost most of Anatolia to the Seljuq Turks. The resulting military expedition of primarily Frankish nobles, known
Raoul II of Clermont of Clermont". Raoul II of Clermont Raoul II/III of Clermont-Nesle (c. 1245 – Kortrijk, July 11, 1302) was Seigneur (Lord) of Nesle in Picardy , Viscount of Châteaudun , Grand Chamberlain of France and Constable of France. Raoul was the eldest son of Simon II of Clermont (c. 1216 – 1286) by Adele ("Alix") of Montfort (d. 1279), daughter of Amaury VI of Montfort. His father had a brother called Raoul (d. a. 1243), sometimes numbered II, causing confusion about the parentage of Raoul's children, as either somehow might come into question. Having Raoul's uncle as No. II and his