Fourth Crusade
1201 to 1204
The last serious attempt to take the city of Jerusalem.
French nobles were the main suckers of the plaintive
cries for assistance from Pope Innocent III.
The crusaders bargained w/ the Venetians
for transport to the Holy Land.
When the mob reached Venice they
could not come up w/ the payment.
The Venetians agreed to transport the crusaders in return
for an attack against their enemy the Byzantines.
The Venetians and crusaders took
Constantinople after a vicious fight.
They removed the Byzanyine emperors
and replaced him w/ Count Baldwin of Flanders.
The crusaders divided the Byzantine empire and it's
treasures between themselves, and ruled until 1261.
They never got around to taking Jerusalem.
Map
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Fifth Crusade
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