How Did The Sack Of Constantinople Affect The Byzantine Empire

The sack of Constantinople in the April of 1204 was a truly horrific event in both the history of the Byzantine Empire and of the Catholic Church. Christianity has been a driving force for many historical events, both negative and positive, and the sack of Constantinople is a perfect example of the bad acts. To fully understand the what, why, and how’s of the sack of Constantinople, one has to look to the Byzantine Empire before the event. Prior to the Crusades, the Byzantine Empire was under a lot of attacks that weakened the Empire. Some of these attacks came from the Seljuk Turks and the Balkan states. Secondly, much of the fighting in the first crusades took place in the Byzantine Empire’s lands, weakening the empire. Even with this said, at the turn of the 12th century, Constantinople, the capitol and center of the empire, was still the most impressive city in Europe. The wealth of the city was the largest in Europe, attracting many people from both Europe and Asia, resulting in a large population as well. The reason for the wealth came from the fact that Constantinople was the center of trade, between the East and West, as well as it seemed to be the center of the Christian world. The geographical location of Constantinople made it an extremely efficient spot to run a city as powerful as it was.

Also at the turn of the century, Pope Innocent II called for another crusade, this would be the fourth. The reason for this crusade was not intended for the capture of Constantinople,

Alexios’s uncle, Alexios III, overthrew his father, Isaac II, for the Byzantine throne. Because of this, Alexios was in exile, and was finding a way to regain his heir to the throne. The crusaders saw a perfect opportunity for another capture, motivated by monetary gain, and helped by prince Alexios. Using the Venetian ships, they sailed to Constantinople to begin the