“Deus vult!” These two words will give life to one of the most controversial events in history, the Crusades. Said by Pope Urban II, “Deus vult” means “God wills” in Latin. It is said that these two simple words inspired the European masses. They would also cause the bloody conflict that would devastate the Holy Land and drag generations of warriors into chaos. Today many believe that the Crusades were a war between Islam and Christianity. That religion was the main and only cause of this event. They are right in thinking so, because religion was a cause, but it was not the only cause but one of many factors. The three causes that led to the Crusades were changes in medieval European society, the desire to protect Christianity, and greed. The primary cause of the Crusades was the change in medieval European society. Until the 11th century, Europe experienced what many historians call the “Dark Ages”. It was during this period that Europe was constantly subjected to Viking raids from the north, Saracens from the south, and Magyars from the east. Europe survived all this and came out stronger than ever. Once these threats disappeared, European society recovered quickly. Italian city states built large trading fleets and took to the sea, trading in ports throughout the Mediterranean (Nelson 1). On the mainland, farmers began to produce more food and raw materials that had previously been plundered or burned by Vikings and other raiders. Religion also became more important as pilgrimages to holy places became more common. Europeans no longer passively accepted their faith but felt the need to act on their beliefs and do something positive for their God (Nelson 2). Well, Europe was recovering from centuries of raids and violence, but there was a problem. Europe was... at the center of the card... an all-out struggle between two powerful faiths. Several generations of warriors fought and died during the Crusades. These facts are obvious, but there was more to them than just religious fanatics rampaging over a city. The Crusades arose from Europe's cultural changes, its determination to defend itself, and man's greed. All of this has put Europe and the Middle East on a collision course. Maybe "Deus vult" was true, maybe God wanted it. Works Cited "Battle of Lechfeld". Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica online. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 27 February 2012. Maalouf, Amin. “The Crusades through Arab Eyes.” New York: Schocken Books, 1989. 5-6. Print.Nelson, Lynn H.. “Lessons for Medieval Inquiry.” The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies. College of State Island, CUNY, November 10, 2002. Web. February 27 2012.