The Fourth Crusade

The Fourth Crusade (1202-1204) was originally intended to reclaim Jerusalem from Muslim control. However, financial issues and a detour led the Crusaders to attack the Christian city of Zara (now Zadar, Croatia) and subsequently, Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. In 1204, they captured and sacked the city, causing significant cultural and economic damage. This event deepened the divide between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches and shifted the focus of the Crusades away from the Holy Land. The Fourth Crusade is often viewed as a failure of its original mission and a tragic diversion.