One great theme of the middle ages would have to be the crusades and how they changed history in many different ways. The crusades changed a lot of things about society in that day including helping trade and also sparking interest in other cultures which paved the way for the renaissance. The crusaders weakened the feudal nobility since they lost many of their lands to go on expeditions. The power of the Byzantine Empire also decreased with the powerful attacks from the Crusades. There was wide spread religious intolerance that erupted between the Muslims, Jews, and Christians. These religions used each other as scapegoats and attacked each other with hostility. The Crusades brought an increase in trade to the empire since they purchased new utensils and foods from Arab markets that benefited them. In the long run, Crusades sparked changes that would have a huge impact on the future of the empire's economy and people. The Renaissance, which began in Italy in 1300s, was one of the largest periods of growth and development in Western Europe. The increase in trade caused abundance in wealth that resulted in the focusing on the arts. Such things as literature, paintings, sculptures and many more works are known to have blossomed from the period known as the Renaissance. Many other important occurrences, such as the split of the Roman Catholic Church and the Reformation were caused by the opposing views of Martin Luther and more of a focus on humankind called humanism. The eight crusades to retake Jerusalem from the Muslims played key rolls in the period of the Renaissance. The Crusades, which took place before the period of the Renaissance, are a major factor in the coming about or beginning of the Renaissance. The eight Crusades were the efforts to take back Jerusalem from the Muslims. These Crusades introduced to Western Europe the new tastes of art, fine cuisines and new types of cloth, including silk. With this happening
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