The Fourth Crusade The Crazy One - Worksheet

Name   _ ________________________________________________________       D ate   _ _____________       P eriod   _ ______       C lass   _ _________  

The Fourth Crusade: The Crazy One

by   J ohn   G reen   ( adapted)  

 

After   t he   T hird   C rusade   ( the   f amous   o ne   w ith   R ichard   a nd   S aladin),   c rusading   c ontinued   a ll   t he   w ay   i nto   t he   1 4th  

century,   m ostly   w ith   a n   e mphasis   o n   N orth   A frica   a nd   n ot   t he   H oly   L and,   b ut   t he   F ourth   C rusade   i s   t he   l ast   o ne  

worth   f ocusing   o n,   b ecause   i t   w as   t he   c razy   o ne.    

 

So   a   l ot   o f   p eople   v olunteered   f or   t he   F ourth   C rusade   —   m ore   t han  

35,000   —   a nd   t he   g enerals   d idn’t   w ant   t o   m arch   t hem   a ll   t he   w ay  

across   A natolia   ( aka   A sia   M inor),   b ecause   t hey   k new   f rom  

experience   i n   t he   p revious   t hree   C rusades   t hat   i t   w as   ( A)  

dangerous   a nd   ( B)   h ot,   s o   t hey  

decided   t o   g o   b y   b oat,   w hich  

required   t he   b uilding   o f   t he  

largest   n aval   f leet   E urope   h ad  

seen   s ince   t he   R oman   E mpire.  

 

The   V enetians   ( inhabitants   o f   t he   I talian   p ort   c ity   o f   V enice)   b uilt   5 00   s hips,   b ut  

then   o nly   1 1,000   C rusaders   a ctually   m ade   i t   d own   t o   V enice,   b ecause,   l ike,   o h   I  

meant   t o   g o   b ut   I   h ad   a   t hing   c ome   u p…   e tc.   T here   w asn’t   e nough   m oney   t o   p ay  

for   t hose   b oats,   s o   t he   V enetians   m ade   t he   C rusaders   a   d eal:   H elp   u s   c apture   t he  

rebellious   c ity   o f   Z ara,   a nd   w e’ll  

ferry   y ou   t o   A natolia.   T his   w as   a  

smidge   p roblematic,   C rusading-­‐

wise,   b ecause   Z ara   w as   a  

Christian   c ity,   b ut   t he   C rusaders  

agreed   t o   h elp,   r esulting   i n   t he   P ope   e xcommunicating   b oth   t hem  

and   t he   V enetians.  

 

After   t he   C rusaders   f ailed   t o   t ake   b ack   Z ara   f or   t he   V enetians,   t hey  

were   s till   b roke,   w ith   n o   w ay   o f   g etting   t o   t he   H oly   L and   t o   d o   t heir  

crusading,   u ntil   a   w ould-­‐be   B yzantine   e mperor   n amed   A lexius   I II  

promised   t he   C rusaders   h e   w ould   p ay   t hem   i f   t hey   h elped   h im  

become   t he   n ew   e mperor,   s o   t he   ( excommunicated)   C atholic  

Crusaders   f ought   o n   b ehalf   o f   t he   G reek   O rthodox   A lexius,   w ho   s oon   b ecame   e mperor  

in   C onstantinople.   T his   m ay   s eem   l ike   g ood   n ews   f or   t he   C rusaders,   b ut   i t   t ook   A lexius  

a   w hile   t o   c ome   u p   w ith   t he   m oney   h e’d   p romised   t hem,   s o   t hey   w ere   w aiting   a round  

in   C onstantinople   f or   a   w hile,  

and   t hen   A lexius   w as  

suddenly   d ethroned  

(removed   f rom   p ower)   b y  

the   a wesomely   n amed  

Mourtzouphlus,   l eaving   t he  

crusaders   s tuck   i n  

Constantinople   w ith   n o  

money.   W hat   t o   d o?  

 

Christian   h oly   w arriors  

couldn’t   v ery   w ell   s ack   t he   l argest   c ity   i n   C hristendom  

(the   C hristian   W orld),   c ould   t hey?   W ell,   i t   t urns   o ut   t hey  

could,   a nd   b oy,   d id   t hey!   I n   t heir   a ttack   o n