No Crusades

WI the Catholic Church had not launched the Crusades?

Define crusades in this context.

1 thing that comes to mind is less intellectual advancement in Europe.

Hmmm...the Byzantines, when they called on the West for aid, wanted a limited military campaign agains the fragmenting Seljuk state in Asia Minor; Urban II was the one who wanted to invade and conquer the Holy Land.

Perhaps Urban doesn't get this idea and instead of repeated Crusades, we've got a "Great Crusade" of Normans, Franks, etc. driving the Turks out of Asia Minor once and for all.

That could stimulate Eastern trade quite a bit, which will also help the Byzantine Empire (in addition to losing so much territory, the Turkish occupation of Asia Minor cut them off from the Silk Road routes and thus lots of tax $$). Exposure to the libraries of Constantinople (w/out the opportunity to burn them) could help the West out intellectually.

cow defender said:

1 thing that comes to mind is less intellectual advancement in Europe.

Click to expand...

And a continuation of the 'fratricidal wars'. Life in Europe becomes ever more nasty, brutal, coarse and short.

At what point do the Muslims call a crusade against the Franks? Islam was fragmented at this time, but due for a resurgence in a very few years. Was there already or maybe very soon a leader who could and would take advantage of Europe's disunity?

Glendower: I can call spirits from the vasty deep.
Hotspur: Why, so can I, or so can any man; But will they come when you do call for them? (Shakespeare: HENRY IV pt I)

I don't believe it was simply a case of the "Church" calling for a crusade. There were all sorts of economic, social, intellectual, and God knows what else factors, pointing in this direction. It was the old business, "I am their leader, I must follow them."