In 1198, Pope Innocent III called for a new Crusade to retake the Holy Land from the Muslims. Many European knights and nobles answered the call, and they gathered in Venice in 1202 to prepare for the journey to the Holy Land. However, they were unable to pay the exorbitant sum demanded by the Venetians for transport to the Holy Land. The Venetians suggested an alternative plan: they would provide transport to the Crusaders if they would help the Venetians recapture the city of Zara (modern-day Zadar in Croatia) from the Hungarians, who had recently taken control of it.
The Crusaders agreed to the plan, despite objections from the Pope, who had forbidden the Crusaders from attacking Christian cities. The siege began on November 10, 1202, and lasted for several weeks. The Venetians led the attack, and the Crusaders provided support. The city was heavily fortified and defended, but the Venetians had advanced siege technology, including powerful battering rams and siege towers. After several days of intense fighting, the defenders of Zara surrendered on November 24, 1202.
The capture of Zara was a significant victory for the Crusaders and Venetians, but it came at a high cost. The Crusaders had violated the Pope's orders and attacked a Christian city, which caused outrage throughout Europe. The Venetians also demanded a large portion of the loot from the capture of Zara, which strained relations between the Crusaders and the Venetians.
Furthermore, the capture of Zara delayed the Crusade's departure for the Holy Land, as the Crusaders had to wait for the winter to pass before setting sail.
During this delay, the Crusaders began to run out of money and supplies, and they looked for new sources of funding. This eventually led to the diversion of the Crusade to Constantinople, where they intended to overthrow the ruling Byzantine Emperor and install a more favorable ruler. This diversion caused a rift between the Western and Eastern Churches and ultimately weakened the Byzantine Empire, paving the way for its eventual fall to th
The siege of Zara in 1202 was a significant event in the history of the Fourth Crusade. It was a turning point that ultimately led to the diversion of the Crusade away from its original goal of retaking Jerusalem from the Muslims and towards a different target - the Christian city of Constantinople. The capture of Zara caused outrage throughout Europe and strained relations between the Crusaders and the Venetians. The delay caused by the capture of Zara also led to the diversion of the Crusade and weakened the Byzantine Empire.