Crusades

The Crusades were a series of religious wars (1096–1291) sanctioned by the Catholic Church, primarily aimed at recapturing Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslim rule. Nine major Crusades were launched; the First Crusade (1096–1099) briefly captured Jerusalem and established Crusader states. The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) infamously sacked Constantinople — a Christian city — instead. The Crusades had enormous long-term consequences: introducing Europeans to Arab science, medicine, philosophy, and goods that helped spark the Renaissance; creating lasting enmity between Western Christianity and Islam; and contributing to the persecution of Jews across Europe. Pope John Paul II apologized for the Crusades in 2000.