This Day in History:, Pope Urban II Orders br the First Crusade.br November 27, 1095.br During a speech to br several hundred clerics br and noblemen at the br Council of Clermont in France.br Pope Urban II called on all Christians br in Europe to war against Muslims in br order to reclaim the Holy Land.br In what was perhaps the most br influential speech of the Middle Ages, br Urban called out, “Deus vult!” or “God wills it!”.br Christians had been br barred from entering br Jerusalem by the Seljuk Turks.br Urban’s war cry roused br between 60,000 and br 100,000 people who br marched on Jerusalem.br The sheer number of respondents was br eventually enough to triumph against br the Muslim armies.