In what could be viewed as a perfect storm of stabilization, Alexander the Great and the contemporaneous rulers of Imperialist China began simultaneous programs of fortification, building across opposite sections of Asia following periods of meteoric expansion. Intending to secure their trade and supply routes, revenue sources, and subjects, both empires essentially created a spine across the largest continent on Earth which, when fleshed out, eventually developed into the Silk Road (Frankopan, 2015).

Almost a millennia and a half later, the famous route along which goods, people, ideas, and culture flowed until it (metaphorically) stopped dead as it reached Europe. Until Pope Urban II sent out his fateful clarion call to righteous bloodshed and promised eternal salvation, Europe was insular in a number of important ways.

Returning merchants and warriors brought back ancient and unknown texts by Greek and Roman writers, new foods, textiles, fashions, spices, and so on. European demand for such goods remained essentially constant from their introduction onward. Therefore, the promise of a potentially faster way to India, namely a sea route, catalyzed a race among various European powers, all desperate to be the first to find it.

Much has been written on the fact that, and the manner in which, the Crusades led, both directly and indirectly, to the eventual demise of the eastern European empire. More commonly known as the Byzantine Empire, when it did eventually fall, it was to the Ottoman Turks.

The Ottomans were Muslim, and though they allowed Christians to trade within their borders, the traders did so at a considerable price. Motivated by their desire to avoid paying Ottoman sanctions and tariffs, Europeans began to search ever more incessantly for a faster, cheaper route to the East. In fact they were so motivated, they even began to look West...

When Pope Urban II declared a holy war on Islam in 1095 there was no way of knowing the chain of events that he spurred on in Europe and the rest of the world. One of the more relevant corollary effects of the eight crusades was the exploration of lands in the New World. The holy war set in place the ability and desire of Europeans to leave their continent to pursue economic opportunities in far away places.

Because of the large numbers of soldiers that were mobilized during the Crusades, it became necessary to improve transportation systems. During the Crusades, improvements were made in shipbuilding in order to transport soldiers. Shipbuilding became a very important industry and the technology was made available to travel long distances by sea. This made it possible to travel the Atlantic Ocean by the 15th Century.

The introduction of new trade goods from the Middle East was another reason the Crusades led to exploration. Crusaders returning from the Middle East brought valuable goods back to Europe that were not readily available in Europe. These luxury goods included perfumes, spices, and silk. Food items were also introduced and included rice, spices, sherbet, and coffee. These items spurred a remarkable trade network between Europe and Asia that could be improved with better navigation of the seas.

The introduction of new trade goods was the primary motivation for explorers that were attempting to find western routes to India and Asia.