Many crucial events that took place before 1450 shaped the world today. One of these crucial events is the Crusades, which took place from 1095 to 1291. Prior to this event, the Byzantine Empire experienced defeat from the Seljuk Turks who belonged to the Muslim dynasty. The Byzantine Emperor communicated with the Christians and called out for help to protect their Empire from the Turks. Pope Urban II responded to this call, by initiating war against the Turks in an attempt to reclaim the Holy Land. These crusades were military expeditions, consisting of Western European Christian armies, whose objective was to prevent the Muslim expansion and recapture any Christian territories. The majority of these crusades occurred in the Eastern Mediterranean lands. …show more content…
Over the course of two centuries, the Crusaders and the Muslim Turks battled over the control of the Holy Land. In the end, the Muslims secured control over Jerusalem, ending the episodic changes of the control of this land until the twentieth century. From this crucial event, Europe’s interest in trade grew as a result of the new goods that the crusaders brought back from Middle East. New trading markets were created, and new ideas were brought up among Europeans. In addition to these changes, the crusades spread Christianity and increased the power of the Roman Catholic Church. The pope gained authority, for he was seen as the head of the church and the leader that defended the Christians from the invading Muslims. This event caused the people to feel as if the church was the power that was leading Europe during this time. The Crusades is an influential event in history, as it marked a turning point in where civilization advanced through trade and religious