The Crusades

The Crusades symbolize both tragedy and the need for context. The Crusades are often used as evidence of the corrupt and bloody history of Christianity. However, contextually, each Crusade must be understood properly in and of itself. While the First Crusade was launched to liberate Jerusalem from Muslim invasion, for example, the Fourth Crusade had more political and violent ends that resulted in war between Christians at Constantinople rather than freeing Jerusalem.