Peter the Hermit

Peter the Hermit was a Roman Catholic priest who played a key role in the First Crusade. He preached the crusade across France and Germany and led a large group of common people, known as the People's Crusade, to the Holy Land in 1096. However, his army was mostly massacred by the Turks before reaching Jerusalem. He later joined the main crusader army and participated in the siege of Antioch and the capture of Jerusalem. He returned to Europe in 1100 and founded a monastery in Neufmoustier, where he spent the rest of his life. He is sometimes considered a blessed by the Catholic Church, although he has not been officially beatified. He is remembered as one of the most influential figures of the crusading movement.