History glossary
Fourth Crusade
the 1202-1204 crusade diverted by debt and politics into attacks on Zara and Constantinople.
- Category
- Crusade
- Region
- Adriatic, Byzantium, and eastern Mediterranean
- Date range
- 1202-1204
What it means
The Fourth Crusade was called to attack Egypt as a route toward recovering Jerusalem, but it became entangled in debt to Venice and Byzantine succession politics. Crusaders attacked Zara in 1202 and then sacked Constantinople in 1204, a Christian capital. The episode became one of the clearest examples of crusading aims being redirected by finance, ambition, and political opportunity.
Related terms
Stories using this term
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