The direct effect of the Crusades on European exploration is the development of better ships and improved navigation.
The Crusades facilitated contact between Europe and the Middle East, exposing Europeans to advanced navigational techniques and shipbuilding methods used by Arab and Mediterranean cultures. This knowledge was instrumental in enhancing European maritime capabilities, which ultimately laid the groundwork for later exploration during the Age of Discovery.
While competition between Europeans and Muslims to discover new lands did arise indirectly from the context of the Crusades, the development of maritime technology is a more direct and immediate result. The other options—destruction of monasteries by Vikings and a focus on land for colonization—do not directly connect to the influences of the Crusades on exploration.
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