The Successful Failures of the Crusades
Throughout the 1200s, Crusades were launched, but none achieved success. The Crusades were a complex series of military campaigns and expeditions. Some argue that they were a successful failure because, although failing to achieve their initial objective of recapturing Jerusalem, they did have significant impacts on European society, trade, and cultural exchange. The Crusades sparked new ideas, concepts, technologies, and interactions between different cultures. So, they were both successful and failed to achieve their original goal, hence the title of successful failure.
To start, the Crusades had been called a failure because of their failed attempts at taking and keeping the Holy Land in Christian hands, however they did produce a number of additional and unexpected results. The Crusades caused an increase in religious …show more content…
For instance, the success of the First Crusade strengthened papal prestige and power. However, this did not last long as the failure of the later Crusades lessened respect for the papacy. Another example of the results of the crusades was the decline in the power of nobles. Due to the Crusades, feudal nobility was undermined. Numerous knights had lost their lives in battle or had died of disease. Additionally, in order to finance their expeditions, many knights had sold or mortgaged their properties. Led by France, European monarchs successfully exploited and took advantage of the misfortune of the nobles by strengthening royal power. Not only did the Crusades cause these misfortunes, but also a decrease in Byzantine power occurred. As a result of the Fourth Crusade, the Byzantine Empire suffered a great loss and took a serious blow. After being invaded during the Fourth Crusade, although Constantinople regained its independence, the empire never recovered its former power or
Throughout the 1200s, Crusades were launched, but none achieved success. The Crusades were a complex series of military campaigns and expeditions. Some argue that they were a successful failure because, although failing to achieve their initial objective of recapturing Jerusalem, they did have significant impacts on European society, trade, and cultural exchange. The Crusades sparked new ideas, concepts, technologies, and interactions between different cultures. So, they were both successful and failed to achieve their original goal, hence the title of successful failure.
To start, the Crusades had been called a failure because of their failed attempts at taking and keeping the Holy Land in Christian hands, however they did produce a number of additional and unexpected results. The Crusades caused an increase in religious …show more content…
For instance, the success of the First Crusade strengthened papal prestige and power. However, this did not last long as the failure of the later Crusades lessened respect for the papacy. Another example of the results of the crusades was the decline in the power of nobles. Due to the Crusades, feudal nobility was undermined. Numerous knights had lost their lives in battle or had died of disease. Additionally, in order to finance their expeditions, many knights had sold or mortgaged their properties. Led by France, European monarchs successfully exploited and took advantage of the misfortune of the nobles by strengthening royal power. Not only did the Crusades cause these misfortunes, but also a decrease in Byzantine power occurred. As a result of the Fourth Crusade, the Byzantine Empire suffered a great loss and took a serious blow. After being invaded during the Fourth Crusade, although Constantinople regained its independence, the empire never recovered its former power or