History of the crusades

I find this chanel interesting, will give his videos a watch

https://www.youtube.com/user/RealCrusadeHistory/videos

The channel is not bad, though you should take some of the interpretation with some skepticism. As far as I know, the facts are true, though he overemphasizes on the cruelty of the Muslims now and then (the last video I watched was over Saladin). When you follow the channel, you should not forget times were extremely cruel (both Christian and Muslim sides). Basically combine this channel with somebody who claims that the Muslim empires have been progressive and benevolent, divide by half and you will probably get the truth. Good channel, nevertheless.

I am particularly sensitive to the Fourth Crusade and I am inquisitive what his interpretation would be.

Nothing is certain about the crusades, the first at least was probably not even seen as a military expedition but as a guarded pelgrimage. Not everything is as straightforward as it is in these video's but most are really fun to watch.

Fragony's correct. Moreover, there is no word for "crusade" in contemporary latin sources. The word is usually "peregrinatio" - pilgrimage, "expeditio" or "iter in terram sanctam" - journey to the Holy Land. The word "crusade" occurs with the rise of the vernacular in written sources, middle of the 13th century at the earliest.

Fun vids anyway, thanks for sharing.

I am wary of any page that attaches "defensive war" to the crusades.

Rightfully so but it's a bit more complicated, sometimes yes sometimes no. I of the Storm is right there is almost nothing (there still is, deus bellum, a justified war, but that is really complitated, sword of christ thingie nobody agrees on) that there is almost nothing written down in latin that even suggests a military expedition with a purpose other than a pilmgrimage, pilgrims were attacked and Templars aided them. Pelgrims came from anywhere and it was really fragmentated. I absolutily don't know if anything I just said is true.