What role did different Italian city-states play in the crusades? To what extent was it economic, and to what extent was it political? (Or was there a difference?)
Italian city-states played a crucial role in the Christian crusades in the Levant, Byzantine Empire, and North Africa; establishing for about 200 years the Latin East. They provided bases for linking trade to the West, supporting the crusades logistically and providing services like repairing ships and arms. They funded aspects of the crusade that proved worthy of tipping the balance in favor of West Europe. Their Doges wielded power and influence, which was crucial for the crusades.
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The role of the city-states had both an economic and political effect. The economic aspect was evidenced by the services offered to the crusaders, the trade opportunities especially the Port of Acre and the City of Jerusalem under the control of the Franks had elevated their economies. Nonetheless, it was also political as the constant feuds among themselves and attempts to reclaim their past glory being resuscitated. They used this as an opportunity to influence the decisions in Latin East’s relations to their subjects and neighbors.
How did the Crusaders travel during the Fourth Crusade, and how was that different than earlier crusades? Who supplied the crusaders with transportation and supplies? What effect did this have on the crusade?
During the Fourth Crusade, crusaders traveled by ships and vessels provided by the Doge of Venice. This crusade was different in the sense that its initial plan of attacking Egypt then Jerusalem was changed with the influence of the Doge owing to demands for payment for services rendered to them. With ships, vessels and armed galleys supplies from the Doge, the French nobles of the Fourth Crusade together with the Venetian army attacked the City of Zara. They then proceeded to overrun the entire Christian Byzantine Empire. This had a negative impact on the crusade as it allowed the Muslims to further entrench their rule in the Levant and Franks hold and influence became weaker. They also created a division between Catholic Western Europe and Orthodox East Europe with ramifications that lasted centuries to come.
