I hate to say this, but you kind of downplayed Venice's role in all this. It is no coincidence that the Doge of Venice, despite being blind and over 90 years old, decided to take command of his country's navy personally, or that after the dust had settled, Venice had cornered the gold market.

It is a shame that the Fourth Crusade went completely off course. I always wonder what would have happened if all the crusaders went off to Egypt like they originally planned. For all we know, they could have established a Christian state in Egypt or at the very least expanded the current borders of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Thanks for the video. I feel this is the saddest period in the Crusades. Two allies fighting one another. Thanks for the video.

These events also overshadowed the rising of Greek influence and subsequent decline of Latin influence in Eastern Roman Empire. The Latin massacre of 1182 was still a fresh memory to most Crusaders. The ruling dynasty had bought Crusaders to Constantinople and this is often left out in modern versions. Modern versions also leave out the role of Venice in all this.

In the video you say only 12k knights arrived in Venice and that many knights departed from other ports in Europe. How many knights departed from other ports? I would really like to know how many crusaders took part in the crusade in total. According to Wikipedia at the siege of Zara and Constantinople there were only 10.000 crusaders. In other words fewer crusaders who departed from Venice (12k) and from other ports.

Thanks again!

I cannot describe just how helpful this is..thank you so much!!

Superb, as always! I cannot express enough how much I enjoy and appreciate these helpful videos!! :)

before a take Constantinople crusaders sack croatian city of Zara ruled by catholic king of Hungary to pay for Venetian navy service. In 1204 pope Inocent III recognize Bulgarian tsar Kaloyan like soverign king. Kaloyan offer friendship and peace a Crusaders but they refused. In Easter 1205 western knights was crashed by Bulgarian Cuman army. Destroying Byzantium and make wars against Bulgaria clear the way for the ottomans to take the Balkans.

Venice was a sea republic, they just believed in trade and money and didn't care about bizantine heritage..... It was in the best interest of venice at that time to control constantibopole ang greece for their trade... far more profitable then wage war to the far Egypt. Also venice was a sort of republic and quite different from other medieval states outside Italy where society was very feudal based... so in Venice like in genoa or pisa or florence ecc.... being a knight was quite a different concept... u could just be a rich merchant and made your son armed like a knight, u didnt require to really be a nobleman.So for venice and other italian cities the byzantine empire was just an anachronnistic institution in which authoritise just disturb the trade with absurd taxes and stuff like that

I wonder what would have happened if the Crusaders didn't sack Constantinople? Can you please do a video about if, the conquest of Sicily by the Normans were apart of the crusades or not.

I'm curious to hear more about the noble Simon of Montfort

The great betrayal!

Smh if you guys are just here in the comments to shame this person and tell everyone your version since you know so much you wouldn't need this video he made this video to help you not to be shamed I'm not trying to be rude by any means but can you please stop being mean?

doge of venice

basically a bunch of mercenaries...

As an Orthodox Christians I still hold grudge against that stupid Angelos kid and the Doge of Venice and the so called Catholic Christian Knights. As due Heretics sakes and killed christian blood.. not only of Angelos did they get to Constantinople, but of Venice and her grudge against what Alexios did to them.. and many Byzantine rulers. There are many gaps here... but you covered 80% of the whole history besides the point of view of the Orthodox Christians.

It should be mentioned that the invincible Latin army was crushed multiple times by the mighty Bulgarian Tsar Kaloayn!!!

You are absolutely right my friend!!! Well done!!!

i agree with most of this . byzantines did mistakes . but they did the worst ever : to sack an orthodox city . even if the byzantines starved them out , a crusade is a crusade . and when the crusaders passed , they always ravaged and pillaged : they were a problem and a siege of constantinople NEARLY happened in the second crusade ... thats how devoted they were to their pope . end of story :P

to ally themselves WITH ...

The crusades seem to have a lot of turning points. But one thing is for sure. The Byzantines should never asked for help for personal glory/gain. But history repeats itself just as Ahaz bribed the Assyrians to interfere with his conflict with Israel and Syria. As a result the Assyrians asked for more and more to the point that they conquered most of the land of Judah as well and only Jerusalem and perhaps its’ surrounding cities were left I conquered by the Assyrians: 2 Kings 16:5-9 (KJV) 5 Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome [him]. 6 At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day. 7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, I [am] thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me. 8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent [it for] a present to the king of Assyria. 9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried [the people of] it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin. Isaiah 7:1-14 (KJV) 1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, [that] Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it. 2 And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. 3 Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field; 4 And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying, 6 Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, [even] the son of Tabeal: 7 Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass. 8 For the head of Syria [is] Damascus, and the head of Damascus [is] Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people. 9 And the head of Ephraim [is] Samaria, and the head of Samaria [is] Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established. 10 Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying, 11 Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. 12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD. 13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; [Is it] a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. --- The same thing did Asa, bribing the Syrians to invade Israel while Baasha was building a wall to prevent Israelites to come to Jerusalem: 2 Chronicles 16:1-10 (KJV) 1 In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king's house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, 3 [There is] a league between me and thee, as [there was] between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me. 4 And Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the store cities of Naphtali. 5 And it came to pass, when Baasha heard [it], that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease. 6 Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha was building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah. 7 And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand. 8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand. 9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of [them] whose heart [is] perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. 10 Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for [he was] in a rage with him because of this [thing]. And Asa oppressed [some] of the people the same time.

what if the 4th crusades never happen?would the byzantine still be around?

This Prince Alexios ... did he realy existed?

off by a few 100 miles crusaders

Yeah sounds like real Christian behavior tome . NOT!

jet fuel doesnt melt golden crosses

simple fact for some fanboys here: The Bulgars (also Bolgars, Bulghars, Proto-Bulgarians,[1] Huno-Bulgars[2]) were a semi-nomadic Turkic people upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/Pontic_steppe_region_around_650_AD.png/300px-Pontic_steppe_region_around_650_AD.png the map in 650 ...also note that they were incorporated into the khazars khanate after being beaten by them

Alexius the 4th could be blaimed for being a deceptive manipulative ungreatful figure in this narrative but i can see the appeal to his offer stratigically but the crusaders were very foolish to have taken so much of his word on good faith. I knew trust is a virtue and all but Alexius the 3rd who they overthrew, offered the crusaders free passsge and resources upon seeing them make camp. They should have thrown alexius the 4th over to him and accepted his deal. Then all that waste could have been avoided. They could have traveled to Syria and all would have been far more productive. But there greed for more doomed them from then on.

That doesn't sound like a Crusade.

I truly admire Enrico Dandolo that at so old age he managed to make such a succesful plan and destroy Venice great rival

The Knights of Templar had alot to do with this...

Yeah do your best to try to justify this shameful act. Also lets not forget that even in the original crusade; Muslims, Jews and Orthodox Christians were massacred by the Latin army.

The byzantines had their turn. It was over. That's why. God shifted the levers as God invariably does. Ultimately the reasons are many, so many that for broad strokes purposes it's best to just say the reasons are not just many but complicated and indeed they are - I would surmise that it was time to make/cause by any means necessary, the next massive irreparable crack or fracture in the foundation of Byzantium. This among many other tragedies betrayals disasters and other acts of God known or unknown to us mere humans, would cause the weakness and subsidence and collapse of the byzantine empire , creating the massive chasm between east and west christendom to emerge and the pope of the west to exist as the patriarch of the east exists. The pope today is now nothing of what I think such a holy leader should represent the westernized churches if today are bending a knee to the very enemies of Christ - to the loud and proud SWORN enemies of Christ whom they once vowed to protect us all from. Western European lands at being swalowed up by enclaves of atheists, militant wahabi salafists and takbiri militants as well The pope is All but pleased to look out the opposite window of where the screaming of europe is happening as parts of it become the rape capitals of the globe immediately following open borrder policies specifically to let millions of antonymous fighting aged Males from corners of the planet tht teach their youths from birth that western europe owes to Wahabism, a sound burning and it's citizens a life of enslavement and sexual enslavement to the victorious emir's Good job Pope the 900th of disney viacom