The Crusades was a very important time for Europe's medieval period. It caused very significant changes to Europe. The first Crusade was in 1096. One of the most obvious and leading factors that lead to the first Crusades was the role of religion, specifically Christianity. During the Crusades, the economic system in Europe was in the state of transition. Another factor that led to the Crusades would be the defeat of the Byzantine by the Seljuk Turks in 1071. The Crusades opened up a lot of trade routes overtime and ships that went out to the Holy Land would return with exotic goods. During the Crusades the Knights Templar created an early banking system based on credit. A number of city-states, particularly those in Italy like Venice,
