or aggression and as an attempt to recover Christian territories lost to infidels. Pope Urban II
             initiated the first crusade as an attempt to unite the
             conflicting Christian territories against a single and foreign foe, the Muslims.
             Otto, better known as Pope Urban II, was born around 1042 and died 29 July 1099. On 12 March 1088, Otto was unanimously elected as Pope, taking the title of Urban II. His first act was to proclaim his election to the world, and to acknowledge the princes and bishops who had been loyal to Gregory, and ask for their continued allegiance: he declared his intention of following the policy and example of his great predecessor--"all
             that he rejected, I reject, what he condemned I condemn, what he loved I embrace, what he considered as Catholic, I confirm and approve".
             The First Crusade began in 1095 after the Byzantines,
             threatened by Seljuk power, appealed to Pope Urban II for
             military aid. Pope Urban, hoping to divert the Christian kings and princes from their struggles with each other, and perhaps also seeing an op
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