The most important part of the Crusades is not the events themselves, but the effects after the Crusades. The Crusades greatly impacted Medieval Europe as well as the Middle East. Read through to discover why the Crusades were so impactful!

In spite of some battles that were won, the Crusades were mostly a failure. The Holy Lands were not regained by the Christians and many Crusaders never returned home at all. Some were killed in the fight for the Holy Land. Others died of disease or injuries. And others were sold as slaves, never to see their homes and families again.

The Crusades did, however, benefit Europe and its people in many ways. Trade with eastern regions was increased. With the growth in trade came the need for more and further excursions (journeys) to unknown lands. This brought about new ideas, greater knowledge and more inventions. In general, people's lives improved; they were healthier and better educated. And, with the end of feudalism, they became more independent.

How did the Crusades impact the world?

• The Crusaders learned more about warfare

• Muslim scholars taught European scholars many things about science and medicine

• Western Europeans learned that the Muslim world stretched to India and traded with China.

• Trade increased and Europeans brought back many goods, such as lemons, apricots, sugar, silk and cotton and spices used in cooking.

• Not all the Crusaders went home after fighting the Muslims. Many of them who went to the Holy Land liked it so much that they stayed and adopted a Middle Eastern way of life.

• Many Muslims saw the Crusades as an unimportant event in their history until 1900 when the Ottoman Empire in Turkey got into difficulties.

• Muslim writers began to portray the Crusades as aggressive empire-building wars waged by western colonialists.

• This opinion grew in the 20th century when France, Germany, Italy and Britain de facto (in fact, whether by right or not) ruled many Middle Eastern states.

The legacy of the Crusades on England

• The Crusades led to the emergence of military and religious orders which were founded during the First and the Second Crusades. Some of them have become well known as the subjects of video games such as 'Assassin’s Creed'. The most famous one is the Knights Templar. These knights had the job of protecting the wealth of the pilgrims as they travelled. They became rich themselves and helped lay down the principles of modern international banking

• The Crusades were expensive, and led to higher taxes at home

Although the crusades failed, they had a major impact on Western Europe.

The crusades helped to break down feudalism by increasing the authority of kings:

• Some nobles died in battle without leaving an heir so their lands passed to the king

• Some nobles sold their land to raise money to pay the special tax levied by the king to offset the cost of the crusades

• Some nobles gave their serfs a chance to buy their freedom in an effort to raise the money needed to buy armor and weapons. Those young men who could buy their way out, joined the crusades but many died which reduced the work force. Without workers, farms failed and if a farm failed, it would pass to the king.

• Many young men joined the crusades for adventure. If a peasant died, while serving in the crusades, the king got his land as well.

With all this influx of land and money paid to them, the kings grew to have great power.

From their exposure to superior Muslim technology, Europeans learned many new things including different ways to build and sail ships and how to make and use magnetic compasses. Europeans were also introduced to many new trade goods while on crusade, including silk, cotton, different spices, and new forms of art and literature.