40 Facts About the Glorious Rise and Brutal Fall of Constantinople

7. The Catholic and Orthodox Churches Held Grudges

Part of what led to the invasion of Constantinople by the Crusaders was an earlier slaughter of Latins, or western Catholics, during a period of unrest within the city. Western Europeans sided with the Latins and wanted revenge on the Orthodox church for the killings. After the fall of the city, the horrifying violence of the Crusaders led the Orthodox church to hold a strong grudge against the Western church which lasted for centuries.