Fourth Crusade History

The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was intended to reclaim Jerusalem from Muslim control but veered off course due to political and financial issues. Crusaders, heavily indebted to Venetian merchants, opted to attack the Christian city of Zara to settle debts. Later, they were lured to Constantinople, seeking to install a rival emperor. In 1204, they captured and plundered the city, deepening the Great Schism between Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches. This crusade shifted focus from religious goals to territorial gain, profoundly impacting Christian-Muslim relations and weakening the Byzantine Empire, which never fully recovered.