The primary goal of the Crusades in the Middle Ages was to reclaim Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslim control. Initiated by Pope Urban II in 1095, the Crusades represented a series of religious wars undertaken by Christian knights and their followers. They aimed to secure safe pilgrimage routes for Christians and combat perceived threats to Christian territories. While the First Crusade achieved some military success in capturing Jerusalem in 1099, subsequent Crusades experienced mixed results. The conflict ultimately deepened the schism between Christianity and Islam and had lasting political, cultural, and religious ramifications.