The Enemy They Admired

A strange paradox emerged: many Crusaders developed deep respect for their Muslim opponents. The Kurdish general Saladin became legendary even among Christians for his chivalry and mercy after recapturing Jerusalem in 1187, letting the Christian inhabitants leave alive.

Compare that to the First Crusade's capture of Jerusalem in 1099, when Crusaders massacred virtually every Muslim and Jewish inhabitant. Contemporary chronicles describe blood running ankle-deep through the streets.