▁this ▁Med ieval ▁in quisition ▁executed ▁an ▁average ▁of ▁three ▁people ▁per ▁year ▁for ▁her es y ▁at ▁its ▁height . ▁Over ▁time , ▁other ▁in quis itions ▁were ▁launched ▁by ▁the ▁Church ▁or ▁sec ular ▁r ul ers ▁to ▁pro sec ute ▁her et ics , ▁to ▁respond ▁to ▁the ▁threat ▁of ▁Mo or ish ▁invasion ▁or ▁for ▁political ▁purposes . ▁The ▁accused ▁were ▁encourag ed ▁to ▁rec ant ▁their ▁her es y ▁and ▁those ▁who ▁did ▁not ▁could ▁be ▁pun ished ▁by ▁pen ance , ▁fin es , ▁imprison ment , ▁tort ure ▁or ▁execution ▁by ▁burning . ▁ ▁Children ' s ▁Cr us ade ▁ ▁The ▁Children ' s ▁Cr us ade ▁is ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁possibly ▁fict it ious ▁or ▁mis inter pre ted ▁events ▁of ▁ 1 2 1 2 . ▁The ▁story ▁is ▁that ▁an ▁out bur st ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁popular ▁enthus ias m ▁led ▁a ▁gather ing ▁of ▁children ▁in ▁France ▁and ▁Germany , ▁which ▁Pope ▁In noc ent ▁III ▁interpreted ▁as ▁a ▁re proof ▁from ▁heaven ▁to ▁their ▁un worth y ▁el ders . ▁The ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁army , ▁Stephen , ▁led ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁children . ▁The ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁army , ▁Nicholas , ▁led ▁ 7 , 0 0 0 ▁children . ▁None ▁of ▁the ▁children ▁actually ▁reached ▁the ▁Holy ▁Land ; ▁those ▁who ▁did ▁not ▁return ▁home ▁or ▁sett le ▁along ▁the ▁route ▁to ▁Jerusalem ▁either ▁died ▁from ▁ship w reck ▁or ▁hung er