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Crusades /
Consequences
Most consequences of the crusades in the Middle East were shortlived — the influence from Europe and Christianity came to a dramatic halt after the fall of the last crusader possessions along the Palestinian coast. The return of Europe 600 years later cannot be seen as determined by the crusades.
For Europe, the crusade had many consequences, and became a part of the changes that Europe went through. Europe had for centuries been relatively weak compared to other parts of the world. The crusades opened up the eyes of the Europeans in both trade, state building and conquests of territory.
Whether the Crusades were negative for the Muslim world is hard to determine. It is clear that some well-organized cities were destroyed (Tripoli being the saddest example). But it is also clear that the crusades ended the destructive situation of internal strife that at first allowed for the crusaders' early victories. With Saladin in the second half of the 12th century, the Muslim Middle East became stronger than it had been prior to the crusades.
But late in the 20th century, sentiments in Europe as well as in the Muslim world came to a level of tension which not only resembled the crusader times, but was also inspired by the same ideas as the crusades as well as the crusades themselves. The work that conservative Christians, led by Jerry Falwell, and extremist Muslims, led by personalities like Osama bin Laden do for provoking a religious war with Israel/Palestine as the epicenter is clearly a modern time crusade.
The idea of jihad got a revival through the crusades. As the Christians fought a holy war against the Muslims, captured the 3rd holiest Muslim city and even attacked Medina and Mecca during a campaign
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By: Tore Kjeilen
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