The church was more centralized and stronger from a reform movement to end the practice whereby kings installed important clergy, such as bishops, in office. Power balance had begun to swing towards the west (Kedar 61). Thereupon, the popes were able to effectively unite European popular support …show more content…
A compromise between King Richard the Lion-hearted of England and the Muslim leader Saladin brought the end of the third crusade in 1192, who granted access to Christians to the holy places (Sumption 74). A fourth crusade led to Constantinople being sacked, where the Latin Kingdom of Byzantium was set up in 1204 and lasted for nearly 60 years. In 1212, a children’s crusade ended with a thousands of children being sold into slavery, lost or even killed. Some less disastrous but equally futile crusade appeared until nearly the 13th century end, and the last outpost in the Muslim world fell in …show more content…
The human and economic resources of Europeans now were able to support new enterprises on the scale of the crusaders. The growing population and more surplus wealth also meant greater demand for goods from elsewhere. In addition, the view of European traders to the Mediterranean meant that they sought greater control of goods, routes, and profits. Worldly interests coincided with religious feelings about Holy Land and the pope’s newfound ability in mobilizing and focusing a great