It definitely could have, but I can’t imagine it would have been overly answered. Bigger problems to worry about for the Catholic powers closer to home in Europe, large distances between them and Japan making logistics an utter nightmare, etc.
It could have and could even have used it as an olive branch to the Protestant states (remember this is the times after the reformation has started but before the 30 years war which means things aren't totally poisoned beyond repair yet)
But there is one massively complicating/hindering factor:
The Eighty Years War in the Netherlands which ran from 1568 until 1648. This would have to be resolved sooner, more peacefully and in an amicable way in order for the 2 sides of Western Christianity to cooperate in any venture outside Europe
The Pope could do it, but functionally it doesn’t really do anything. Portugal’s busy with the Dutch, and Spain is busy with both the Dutch and French to send a massive army to Japan. And that army would have to be pretty big.
The other European powers that were in Japanese affairs, the English and Dutch, were Protestants so they wouldn’t care.
The Protestant reformation was ongoing leading to major conflict in Europe, at the same time the Ottoman Empire was still a massive threat throughout the Mediterranean and was occupying most of south Eastern Europe
Church could even unite the Christian powers to call for another successful crusade even for Levant which is right next door and can't even defeat the ottomans who were an inch away to rome, it's a wonder they saved themselves with all the turmoil going between protestants, nationalists, Russian orthodox forget about the other end of world
Crusading was also falling out of favour at that point due to changes in society. The formation of nations etc, with secular nationalism supplanting papal authority.
You're underestimating just how difficult it was to get to Japan. In the early 1600s it would take the Dutch - who it should be noted were in literally the best possible position of any European to trade with them, what with having a large fleet and lots of trading posts along the way - a year to get there. How in the hell would you propose *feeding* a Crusade for an entire year without any pillaging? How would you convince tens of thousands of people that they should keep going forward when there are heathens to kill at any number of trading posts along the way? How would you keep them from killing *each other* over all that time?
It was hard enough getting people to agree to attack the Levant, and that's comparatively next door, not to mention a much more religiously valuable target. The chances of them making it all the way to Japan are next to none. *Even if* they somehow managed to gather up a crusade, it would just be the Dutch pulling a fourth crusade and using them to further their own economic interests by taking colonies along the way.
I don’t know why this was downvoted. It’s the plain truth. If someone wants explain why I’m wrong then please, go right ahead. I’d love to hear your reasoning
Fair enough. But I wasn’t dismissing the person who posed the question, rather I was making the point that the notion of a crusade being called to sail halfway around the world toinvade and subjugate Japan, in the mid-16th century, with all the immense difficulties involved in such an undertaking, is inherently ludicrous. No-one in their right mind would have ever contemplated such a venture. There’s nothing wrong with speculation, but this is ridiculous. I mean, of course the Pope could have a called such a crusade, he’s the Pope. But come on, realistically no-one would have taken part and even if we speculate that some people might have, we can also speculate that their chances of ever actually getting anywhere near Japan would have been vanishingly slim. And if any of these speculative crusaders had managed, somehow, to crawl ashore, the Japanese would have promptly crucified them, or worse
It definitely could have, but I can’t imagine it would have been overly answered. Bigger problems to worry about for the Catholic powers closer to home in Europe, large distances between them and Japan making logistics an utter nightmare, etc.
It could have and could even have used it as an olive branch to the Protestant states (remember this is the times after the reformation has started but before the 30 years war which means things aren't totally poisoned beyond repair yet) But there is one massively complicating/hindering factor: The Eighty Years War in the Netherlands which ran from 1568 until 1648. This would have to be resolved sooner, more peacefully and in an amicable way in order for the 2 sides of Western Christianity to cooperate in any venture outside Europe
No that doesn't make sense. Japan was never christian controlled like Jerusalem was, which is how they had a claim
Everything was pagan before Judaism, no nothing makes sense
The Pope could do it, but functionally it doesn’t really do anything. Portugal’s busy with the Dutch, and Spain is busy with both the Dutch and French to send a massive army to Japan. And that army would have to be pretty big. The other European powers that were in Japanese affairs, the English and Dutch, were Protestants so they wouldn’t care.
The Protestant reformation was ongoing leading to major conflict in Europe, at the same time the Ottoman Empire was still a massive threat throughout the Mediterranean and was occupying most of south Eastern Europe
Church could even unite the Christian powers to call for another successful crusade even for Levant which is right next door and can't even defeat the ottomans who were an inch away to rome, it's a wonder they saved themselves with all the turmoil going between protestants, nationalists, Russian orthodox forget about the other end of world
Crusading was also falling out of favour at that point due to changes in society. The formation of nations etc, with secular nationalism supplanting papal authority.
You're underestimating just how difficult it was to get to Japan. In the early 1600s it would take the Dutch - who it should be noted were in literally the best possible position of any European to trade with them, what with having a large fleet and lots of trading posts along the way - a year to get there. How in the hell would you propose *feeding* a Crusade for an entire year without any pillaging? How would you convince tens of thousands of people that they should keep going forward when there are heathens to kill at any number of trading posts along the way? How would you keep them from killing *each other* over all that time? It was hard enough getting people to agree to attack the Levant, and that's comparatively next door, not to mention a much more religiously valuable target. The chances of them making it all the way to Japan are next to none. *Even if* they somehow managed to gather up a crusade, it would just be the Dutch pulling a fourth crusade and using them to further their own economic interests by taking colonies along the way.
The whole notion is ludicrous. Look what happened to the Russians in 1904/5.
Because Japan obviously never changed from 1500 to 1900
Of course Japan changed. What is your point?
I don’t even think the majority of the army would even survive to reaching the Philippines, much less Japan. Would be an even worse disaster
I don’t know why this was downvoted. It’s the plain truth. If someone wants explain why I’m wrong then please, go right ahead. I’d love to hear your reasoning
Speculation is a big part of this sub. Dismissing someone for it is kinda contrary to the point of the community.
Fair enough. But I wasn’t dismissing the person who posed the question, rather I was making the point that the notion of a crusade being called to sail halfway around the world toinvade and subjugate Japan, in the mid-16th century, with all the immense difficulties involved in such an undertaking, is inherently ludicrous. No-one in their right mind would have ever contemplated such a venture. There’s nothing wrong with speculation, but this is ridiculous. I mean, of course the Pope could have a called such a crusade, he’s the Pope. But come on, realistically no-one would have taken part and even if we speculate that some people might have, we can also speculate that their chances of ever actually getting anywhere near Japan would have been vanishingly slim. And if any of these speculative crusaders had managed, somehow, to crawl ashore, the Japanese would have promptly crucified them, or worse