CDZ 4th Crusade a cause of the fall of the Eastern Empire?

[Toronado3800]

I was just doing some light reading on the fourth crusade. The one which on the way to liberate the Holy Land sacked Constantinople.

Fourth Crusade - Wikipedia

It brought up a few points I have not thought of too often. One were the slaughter of "Greek Christians" then their slaughter of some "Latin Christians in turn. Christians killing Christians was not my main point of interest through.

Some historians like Steven Runciman apparently think the Fourth Crusade was one of the greatest crimes against humanity to his time.

Constantinople was no doubt one of if not the greatest city in Europe at the time. Her borders had been shrinking for some time however.

Do you all think the Fourth Crusade meaningfully hastened the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire?

Got any good light reading online for me one way or the other?

 

[The Great Goose]

If I was on my way to liberate the holy Land I'd take a slap at Constantinople too.

 

[yiostheoy]

I was just doing some light reading on the fourth crusade. The one which on the way to liberate the Holy Land sacked Constantinople.

Fourth Crusade - Wikipedia

It brought up a few points I have not thought of too often. One were the slaughter of "Greek Christians" then their slaughter of some "Latin Christians in turn. Christians killing Christians was not my main point of interest through.

Some historians like Steven Runciman apparently think the Fourth Crusade was one of the greatest crimes against humanity to his time.

Constantinople was no doubt one of if not the greatest city in Europe at the time. Her borders had been shrinking for some time however.

Do you all think the Fourth Crusade meaningfully hastened the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire?

Got any good light reading online for me one way or the other?

Don't forget that Rome and Constantinople were rivals.

The brigands that comprised the 4th probably thought the Pope at Rome would appreciate their looting. He condemned them but may have secretly appreciated their evil deed.

And I'm not sure they were necessarily wrong.

If you want to read more, the late British author J.M. Roberts in his book "History Of The World" discusses the 4th Crusade on pages 361 and 526.

This book is my Bible on history.

 

[Picaro]

Catholic priests directed the Ottoman artillery that breached the walls and thus felled the city. The Italian city states were the cause of the demise, Rome, Venice, Ragusa, etc., had long been undermining it, as they resented its trade advantages. Rome did not like the Greek Orthodox sects that dominated in the eastern Med and north to St. Petersburg and eastern Europe. It was an historical rivalry going back to Constantine's era and the Four Emperors.