The Crusades had many residual effects upon Europe. It weakened the power of the minor aristocracy in Europe and solidified the power of the monarchy, leading eventually to the formation of strong centralized kingdoms. It also increased the political power of the Pope relative to the Warrior Kings. It also signaled the rise of the People and Banking as political forces to be reckoned with.
The military pressure of the Catholic Crusades unified the Islamic Empire to go on the attack in their reverse crusade. The Crusaders weakened Byzantium by their attacks. While the renewed Moslem Empire further weakened the bastion of Eastern Christianity, it was the Latin Christians, who eventually sacked Constantinople, bringing down this relic of the Roman Empire. Christians overthrowing Christians. The sign of things to come. This infighting weakened Christendom enough that the Turkish Muslims eventually conquered the Anatolian peninsula from the Christians for good.
The Latin Christians’ invasion of the Levant combined with their slaughter of the residents of Jerusalem polarized the Middle East. Although a militant Islamic army spread rapidly over the globe Mohammed had counseled tolerance for the other monotheistic religions, which was one factor behind the unprecedented rise of Islam. While Jews, Christians, and Muslims had coexisted as neighbors in the region prior to the Crusades, afterwards the Christians and Moslems became mortal enemies. This condition has persisted unto the present day.
There are many reasons that this antipathy continues. The Pope and the Bankers had a vested interest in war with Islam. Whenever the Pope called a successful Crusade it increased his power. Further anytime there was war the bankers profited due to the loans and conditions that were demanded to fund the wars. This trend was seen clearly in the 4th Crusade.
Further the Pope and the Church felt impelled to vilify Islam as a threat in his attempt to increase his flock and with it his revenues. The issue of Christ’s supposed divinity or lack thereof was more about accumulating followers with their required donation to whatever Church than it had to do with inspiring people to act in a moral fashion. Indeed these trivial doctrinal differences inspired truly despicable behavior.
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