Purposes: To win back the holy land
             Later on, money (Venetian merchants bringing it on)
             Crusades caused the Byzantine empire to fall
             Significance: This shifted power back to the west, changing the course of European history.
             "What are the purposes behind the Crusades and what did they
             accomplish? What is the significance of these accomplishments?"
             There are a number of opinions concerning the purposes behind the Crusades. The one major reason taught in school is the seizing of the holy land to it's rightful owner. Although this may have been the intent for the "holy wars" in the beginning, it eventually became a power struggle of the Venetians. The outcome of these wars were dramatic and very significant in the shaping of European history.
             The Crusades began as a quest to regain the holy land. Christians from all over western Europe joined in the journey to seize Jerusalem, the holy land, from the Muslims. The crusaders left on their pilgrimage under the blessing of the Pope. Their first attempt to retake the holy land was successful, but they were disheartened when they lost it soon after. Though determined and self-righteous, they never regained this land again. The Crusades resulted in nothing for those it was first intended. In fact, the crusaders unknowingly aided another party; they were the pawns of Venetian merchants.
             The Venetian merchants were the drive behind the last of the Crusades. These merchants were bent on profit, and went to great lengths to achieve their goals. They encouraged the Crusaders to attack the the Byzantine Empire, along in their pursuits of the holy land. The Venetians wanted the Byzantines to fall so that they could reclaim their hold on trade; They wanted to become the hub of commerece, once again, like before the fall of the Roman Empire. These attacks on Constantinople and other parts of the a
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