> Although I suspect that for common peasants, there was no sense of duty or honor in this, it was just a potentially family-destroying event, where men would b

> Although I suspect that for common peasants, there was no sense of duty or honor in this, it was just a potentially family-destroying event, where men would be rounded up and marched off against their will to die. The article brings some pretty decent arguments that suggest you are wrong: > For common soldiers, it was an opportunity to get rich or at least gain some wealth. > Masses of peasants willingly went to try and liberate the Holy Land – only to get slaughtered because they did not wait for backup by professional soldiers. Later, during the Ottoman Wars, peasants under John Capistrano played a major role in defense of Belgrade. There was also the whole "children's crusade" episode.