alternatehistory.com

The vast majority of the problems faced by/caused by the 4th Crusade can be traced back to the inability of the Crusaders to pay the agreed payments to the Venetians, leading to the renogations that delayed departure, led them to attack Zara, and, ultimately, Constantinople.

What if, through some means that we won't worry about (yes, this is cheating, but please bear with me), all the money is delevered to the Venetians on time. This enables the Crusade to depart on schedule. Zara does not even cross anyone's mind. There were still elements of the Crusade leadership that were committed to try to take a detour to Constantinople, and had been committed to that long before they had ever set sail, but they now have a much weaker case for such a move. There is also still the discord likely between the rank and file and the leadership, once the true target of Egypt is discovered.
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