How Did Pope Innocent III Turned The Fourth Crusade?

In 1198, Pope Innocent III preached the Fourth Crusade to reinstate Christian lands and recapture Jerusalem. Under Innocent III, for the first time in the history of the Crusades, the pope taxed the church in order to collect money for the war. In this Crusade, advocates followed Richard the Lionheart’s procedure and travel by sea rather than by land. As a result, crusaders leased vessels from Venice. Instead of going to the Holy Land, the Crusaders attacked Zara and Constantinople in order to acquire money to pay their debt and fulfill selfish reasons. In Pope Innocent III’s papal decree, he applied various taxes and rules to regulate this war. The Pope encouraged that the Crusade would only succeed if everyone devoted their time, money, and work to the duty. According to Innocent III, “a tenth part of all our revenues in money and in kind is allotted for the aid of the eastern province [that is, the crusader states].” The Pope taxed everyone, including clerical officials, because he believed that every person had a duty to support the Crusade. Yet, he enticed crusaders with protections, privileges, and rewards. Although the Pope preached this Crusade as a religious movement, the crusaders ignored this mission to acquire more wealth.

Proponents of the Crusade asked for ships for 35,000 crusaders, but only 11,000 men showed up at Venice, therefore, the crusaders could not fully pay the Venetians. The Doge of Venice suggested that the crusaders attack and give Zara back to Venice, he would release them from their obligation. Pope Innocent preached to go to Egypt, the crusaders took it upon themselves to go to Zara, a Christian city. As a result, they violated the principle of the crusading mission because they attacked their own people rather than their