The Crusades were a series of religious wars that primarily occurred between Christians and Muslims from the late 11th to the late 13th centuries. Sparked by the Pope's call to reclaim the Holy Land, particularly Jerusalem, the Crusades led to several military campaigns. The First Crusade (1096-1099) successfully captured Jerusalem, but subsequent Crusades met with varying degrees of success and failure. These conflicts intensified religious animosities and established lasting cultural exchanges and rivalries. The Crusades also significantly altered political landscapes in Europe and the Middle East, influencing trade and interactions for centuries to come.