The Albigensian wars were initiated by the papacy. These were the campaigns of the knights of the northern part of France in the southern lands to suppress the Albigensians, who were recognized as heretics. Towards the end of the wars, the French king joined them.
The Albigensians were defeated, the southern lands became part of the French kingdom, the distinctive southern French civilization was destroyed. What are the dates of the beginning and end of the Albiguian wars? Can they be considered crusades?
The development of the southwestern lands of France
The southwestern part developed apart from other France. In the last years of the Roman Empire, a Gothic kingdom was formed on these lands. The ancient heritage has left an indelible mark. Arabs who entered the land through the Pyrenees made their contribution to the development of culture.
In southern France, troubadour poetry was widely developed. At the Aquitaine and Toulouse courts, a knightly culture developed . She was distinguished by free and graceful manners. People’s thoughts were freer than in the northern regions. Southerners considered it permissible to ironize over priests, monks.
In such a rather relaxed environment, teachings began to arise that were far from those that were permitted by the Catholic Church. Over time, this led to the Albiguian Wars.
The Waldense Sect
On the banks of the Rhone appeared and became widespread Waldense sect. It got its name from the rich merchant Pira Waldo, who lived in Lyon. Another name for the sect - "Lyon poor."
Waldo, a merchant, distributed his property to poor people. Before that, in 1170, he prepared and distributed the gospel and parts of the Old Testament. Books were translated from Latin to Languedoc (the native language of the southern lands). So people got information that was dangerous for the Catholic Church, because believers could understand it, and therefore, think.
The Waldenses believed that there was only hell and heaven without purgatory, so prayers were useless. They were skeptical of church ordinances, including communion with bread and wine. The main thing for them was to live without lies.
Soon the Waldensians were recognized as heretics. It happened in 1184 at the Verona Cathedral. The question may be, who is a heretic? The answer is simple - it is an apostate, a preacher of heresy, which contradicts church dogma.
Pierre Waldo did not deny his beliefs. He has many supporters left. Three centuries later they joined the Reformation.
Albigensians
In the Languedoc and Aquitaine another sect appeared - the Albigensians. It got its name from the city of Alba, which acted as the center of a new teaching. It is believed that the ideas of the Albigenses are close to the Iranian Manichaeism. They hit the southern lands from the Bulgarian Bogomil.
According to them, the world consisted of two halves:
- divine - bright, spiritual;
- the devil - material, sinful.
These halves are irreconcilable. They attributed the church to the kingdom of darkness, and considered themselves "pure." For them, the carriers of the light were “perfect”, who had high morality, did not eat meat, remained chaste, did not have their own home. Such people wandered their whole lives, living at the expense of alms.
The Albigensians recognized the sacrament of “consolation” that was given to the dying during their ordeal of torment. Only the "perfect" could give "Consolation." The remaining adherents of the sect were "believers." They lived like ordinary people, went to the Catholic Church, so as not to attract too much attention.
The movement of the "pure" spread, which brought closer the beginning of the Albiguian Wars.
Albiguian Cathedral
In 1167, the Cathedral was held “clean”. On it they established their creed. The heretic bishop from Byzantium, Nikita, was present. He represented the Bulgarian Bogomil. Ten years after this, the Toulouse Earl Raymond the Fifth reported that the churches were abandoned, heresy captured many influential people, including priests. Even the count’s son, Raymond Six, kept the “perfect” near him.
Rome's efforts to pacify the Albigensians
Similar events greatly bothered Rome. Popes began to send preachers to call on people to change their minds. All their attempts were unsuccessful. People more trusted the words of the "perfect" who lived and acted among the people.
The Albigensian Crusade could be stopped by the Dominicans.
Dominic Activities
A monk named Dominic, along with his associates, admonished people. He managed to find a way to the souls of the Albigensians, since he spoke from the standpoint of gospel modesty and simplicity.
Dominic was able to return heretics to the Catholic faith. But he alone could not influence the minds of thousands. Who is a heretic, one of the knights of Raymond the Six showed when he killed the papal legate Pierre Costelno, who appeared at the Toulouse court.
1209 Crusade
Pope Innocent III declared a crusade against heretics of the south of France. It happened in 1209. Thus began the Albiguian war.
The king of France at that time was Philip the Second of August. He did not take part in the campaign, because he was busy with the conflict with England, and in general was little interested in eradicating heresy. Dad had someone to support. The knights of the northern lands reacted with great zeal to the call of the Catholic Church. They have long been interested in the rich south. They were led by Simon de Montfort, Count of Leicester.
The leader of the northerners owned lands in France and England. He was determined to fight back in the Fourth Crusade, but he was stopped by papal disapproval. The count was able to wait for the use of his unspent energy.
The lands of Toulouse county were defeated. The knights of the northern lands were fed not only by religious zeal, they were engaged in robberies and conquests. There were a whole host of massacres. During the Albiguian Crusade, many representatives of Catholicism were killed.
Southerners response
Simon de Montfort decided to appropriate the county of Foix, whose ruler took the side of the Albigensians. King of Aragon Pedro II, who was Raymond the Six's father-in-law, did not like this. In addition, the Aragonese king was not amused by the neighborhood with an aggressive and fanatical count.
Catalonia and Aragon had a close relationship with the Languedoc and Toulouse at the cultural level, and their rulers were connected by family ties. Therefore, in 1213, Pedro II and Raymond the Sixth besieged the castle of Muret to defeat Montfort.
However, there was a bishop in the castle who inspired the defenders with promises that they would forgive all sins. According to him, heavenly bliss awaited the fallen in battle. Southerners failed. They were attacked by the besieged and defeated. King Pedro II died.
The Albigoyan wars in France led to the massive burning of the “pure” spiritual leaders at the stake. No one knows how much “comfort” helped them at this moment.
Decision of the Fourth Lateran Council
Dad was pleased with the success of the company. However, he could not calmly watch the fertile land go bankrupt. He was also opposed to the Toulouse county passing Montfort. However, everything was decided at Lateran Cathedral in 1215.
Prelates pressed the pope with the crusader lords. They threatened Innocent the Third that if he did not allow the land to be taken to the count, they would be devastated by fire and sword. Dad had to give in. However, Monfort soon suffered from his own greed. He wished to conquer Raymond the Sixth Languedoc and died in battle.
The result of the Lateran Council was also the recognition of the Dominican Order. The monk Dominic throughout the history of the Albiguian Wars urged heretics to change their minds. Those who repented had to pay a fee to dad. For this they received forgiveness. Those who were admonished at the episcopal court were sentenced to repentance and confiscation of property. A bonfire was waiting for those who did not want to take the path of correction.
The intervention of the king of France
In 1225, Raymond the Sixth was excommunicated. A year later, the French king Louis the Eighth led another campaign. Cities with castles surrendered without resistance. Only Avignon fought fiercely. He survived the siege for three months, but also capitulated.
Louis the Eighth died unexpectedly. However, this did not stop his successor from completing the case. In 1229, Raymond the Seventh signed a treaty at Mo.
The Albigensians held on for many more years. Their last stronghold fell in 1244. But even after that the words “perfect” sounded.
Conclusion
To understand whether the Albigensian wars were different from the Crusades, you need to know what is behind these names. The crusade involves military operations on a religious basis in Western Europe between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries. The Albiguian wars took place from 1209 to 1229, they were connected with the issue of religion. From this we can conclude that the Albiguian wars were no different from the Crusades. Only the war was not waged against the Seljuk Turks, but with the inhabitants of the south of France.
It is also important to clarify that the reasons for the Albigensian wars were not only religious issues, but also the desire of the knights of the northern lands to profit from the rich southern region.
As a result of the twenty-year war, about one million people were killed. In the fight against heretics, the Order of the Dominicans and the Inquisition were established. The latter has become a powerful tool in the fight against dissent on the part of the Catholic Church.