Week 23 Review

1.What are some common misconceptions about the Crusades, and why are they incorrect?

There are four different misinterpretations of the Crusades, often mistakenly believed by the average person. Many people have preconceived notions about these epic religious wars, that are usually completely unfounded. The first myth is that the Christians attacked the innocent Muslims, with no basis for their revenge. This is simply factually untrue, as the Muslims had been besieging the Christian world for centuries. They had taken more than 2/3 of the Christian world under their oppressive wing, including Asia Minor, the Middle East, and North Africa. So the Christians had every right to be furious at the terrors they'd been plagued with for so long. Their anger wasn't in the slightest unwarranted, toward their fierce adversaries. Another lie about the Crusades was that their primary incentive for their journeys was to gain wealth and money. In actuality, joining the Crusades cost an enormous amount of cash, and many of those who volunteered ended  up deep in debt. Also, the majority of Crusaders were already substantially rich and had no need to acquire more. A third fallacy is that the Crusades caused the Muslims to be bitter, which led to the modern day 9/11 tragedy. 
However, the realization is that the Crusades were an insignificant period of Muslim history, so much so that few even knew what they were! Clearly it's evident that 21st-century terrorism was not the result of building prejudice, that budded with ancient strife. One final delusion was the assumption that the Christians were determined to convert their Muslim enemies, by sheer pressure. The facts contradict this, because there was considerably more Muslims than Catholics in Jerusalem. 



3.Based solely on the documents you read, describe the events of the Fourth Crusade.
The fourth crusade was a total disaster and definitely the most note-worthy, as far as the extent of it's damages. It took place from 1201- 1204 and was led by Pope Innocent III. The original purpose of the crusade was to vanquish the city of Jerusalem, which was controlled by the Muslims. Yet the crusaders became seriously distracted, causing the plan to go awry. They ended up sacking the capital of the Byzantine Empire,Constantinople. Their hindrance was a man named Alexis, who claimed he was the rightful heir to the throne of Constantinople. According to him, the current man in authority had wormed his way into his position illegitimately.He promised to help pay the campaigner's debts, if they would help put him back in power. Unfortunately, in spite of Pope Innocent's protests, the majority pitied Alexis and wanted to help him. They disregarded the wise cautions of the Pope and presented Alexis to the people of the city. Mistakenly, they assumed the inhabitants would be hospitable to the young prince. This was far from the case, as the mob shouted Alexis down.They refused to acknowledge the young prince as the true emperor. 

Now the crusaders were in a bad rut, because they desperately needed the money Alexis had to offer. They foolishly decided to attack the city, which housed over half a million! The easterners within eventually grew tired of fighting off Alexis's passionate defenders, and gave in. Fearful for his life, Alexis ran away with what belongings he had. Finally, he was reluctantly crowned king in August 1203. As he'd vowed, he began to pay the crusaders bills, starting with installment portions.Yet the manner in which he obtained the rest of the cash was absolutely appalling. He hacked the holy burial places of the emperors, stealing jewelry out of them! Then in turn, he sold these valuable ornaments for a high price. He also committed the atrocity of snatching gold from the church and having it liquefied. Even after these god-awful crimes, Alexis was still unable to fully repay what he owed.
 The masses were infuriated with him and on the verge of an uproar. In his agony, Alexis urged the crusaders to depart. Despondently, he supplicated them to allot him more time. One night, his lieutenant, Mouzoupious informs him there is a mob outside his palace. He manipulates Alexis into following him, pretending he is going to procure his escape. Instead he cleverly sweeps him into a jail cell.

Then the scheming Mouzoupious appoints himself as the emperor, and orders Alexis put to death.The leaders of the 4th crusade are under no obligation to this man, and find themselves in a even bigger mess, Their bishops and abbots come to a verdict: Mouzoupious is an murderer and inadequate for the job. They conclude to wage war on him, which results in the epic Sack of Constantinople. This was an abominable event, involving the marauding of the city and the massacre of many of its citizens. 
The fourth crusade left a bitter stain in it's wake, even further bridging the gap between the East and West. Their relationship only grew worse, because of everything that went on. It would take many long, painful years, before any reconciliation could happen.