The Fourth Crusade was a military expedition launched by Pope Innocent III in 1202 with the goal of recapturing Jerusalem from Muslim control. However, the crusade significantly deviated from its original purpose and ended up resulting in the sacking of the Christian city of Constantinople instead.
Initially, the crusaders intended to sail directly to Egypt, which was controlled by the Muslim Ayyubid dynasty, in order to weaken the enemy and make capturing Jerusalem easier. Due to financial difficulties, they agreed to divert and launch an attack on the wealthy Byzantine Empire instead, promising to restore the exiled Byzantine prince, Alexios IV Angelos, to the throne.
In 1204, the crusaders attacked and conquered Constantinople, which was the capital of the Byzantine Empire. The city was brutally pillaged, looted, and set on fire, causing immense destruction and loss of cultural heritage. The Byzantine Empire was divided, and a Latin-based Crusader state called the Latin Empire of Constantinople was established, lasting until 1261.
The Fourth Crusade is often criticized for its deviation from its original purpose and for the sacking of Constantinople, which is considered a massive betrayal of fellow Christians, as well as a turning point in the decline of the Byzantine Empire. The event significantly strained the relationship between the Western and Eastern Christian churches, contributing to the eventual schism between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.
The fourth crusade?
1 answer