As wars, most Crusades were failures. The Crusaders did not win control of Jerusalem, or drive Muslims out of the Middle East. The Crusades caused terrible suffering in the lands the Crusaders invaded. Countless Crusaders died from injuries, accidents, and disease.

By disrupting Muslim trade, the Crusades did help European merchants grow rich and finance new voyages of exploration. However, the Crusades left a legacy of bitterness and misunderstanding between Christians and Muslims that has not yet gone away.

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