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Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous
The Crusades were not holy wars, they were commercial wars to control the pilgrimage sites of the 'holy lands' and also topple Byzantine superiority which is why during the 4th crusade they scrapped a plan for Jerusalem and instead pillaged and destroyed Constantinople, the major European rival to the West.
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You mean Constantinople was a major power to the east.
Anyway, great thread. I love cathedrals despite being an atheist. Nothing being built nowadays comes close.