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Simply put, the crusades started because of two things, a loss of access to the Holy Land, and an appeal by the Byzantine Emperor for help.

The common conception that the crusades happened because the Muslims took over the Holy Land is clearly wrong, because the Muslims took over four hundred years before the crusades started. Islamic governments of the Holy Land were sufficiently tolerant of Christians, and aware of the benefits of trade, that they allowed pilgrimages to continue with little unreasonable inhibition.

New groups of people who took over, however, became intolerant, and prevented access to the Holy Land, which meant that pilgrims and merchants had no access. This provided the pope with sufficient reasons, both spiritual and material, to want the control of the area changed.

Pressure from Muslim states on the Byzantine Empire was also important because the Emperor finally appealed to the pope to get Christians of Western Europe to help.

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Q: What reason why the crusades middle ages organized?
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