History help please?

Question

Can someone please help me with this History homework?
These are my questions:
1.) Describe the cause and effect of the crusades of The Byzantine Empire.
2.) What is the date of the fall of The Byzantine Empire?
3.) Who were it's conquerors?

Thank you both very much!

Answer 1

1.) Only the fourth crusade had an effect on the Byzantine Empire. The army conquered Constantinople in 1204 and established the Latin Empire of Romania. In addition, the Venetians who were along took possession of several islands in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas. Knights advanced into Greece and set up feudal principalities there: The Duchy of Athens and Thebes under Guy de la Roche; and the Principality of Achaia under William of Villeardouin. Greece remained under "Frankish" rule for a few centuries. In 1261, Michael Paleologus, a general of the Empire of Nicea, passed by the city, noted that it was lightly defended, stormed it, and restored the Byzantine Empire. He usurped the throne as Michael VIII.

2. May 29, 1453

3.) The Ottoman Turks under their sultan Murad II.

Answer 2

2 and 3 are easy - the Byzantine Empire fell to the Turks in 1453.
The first one is a little dicier. In the first couple of Crusades, the Byzantine Empire tended to nominally support the European Crusaders while in fact playing them off against their Moslem enemies. Once the European Crusaders established contol over several cities and their surrounding provinces (often called "The Crusader States"), the diplomatic situation became even more complicated. The Fourth Crusade actually conquered te Byzantine capital city of Constantinople, although they were notionally allies. There's a good reason "byzantine" has passed into the language as an adjective meaning "extremely complicated and devious".