▁of ▁the ▁Latin ▁Empire . ▁The ▁By z antine ▁Empire ▁was ▁re est ab lished ▁in ▁ 1 2 6 1 ▁with ▁the ▁re capt ure ▁of ▁Constantin ople ▁from ▁the ▁Lat ins , ▁though ▁it ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁a ▁major ▁power ▁and ▁would ▁continue ▁to ▁fal ter ▁through ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁century , ▁with ▁rem n ants ▁last ing ▁until ▁the ▁mid ▁ 1 5 th ▁century . ▁▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁century , ▁populations ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁Al ps ▁began ▁a ▁more ▁int ensive ▁settlement , ▁target ing ▁" new " ▁lands , ▁some ▁of ▁which ▁areas ▁had ▁revert ed ▁to ▁w ilder ness ▁after ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁Roman ▁Empire . ▁In ▁what ▁historian ▁Charles ▁H ig ou net ▁called ▁the ▁" gre at ▁clear ances ", ▁Europe ans ▁cleared ▁and ▁cultiv ated ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁vast ▁for ests ▁and ▁mar sh es ▁that ▁lay ▁across ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁continent . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁sett lers ▁moved ▁beyond ▁the ▁traditional ▁boundaries ▁of ▁the ▁Frank ish ▁Empire ▁to ▁new ▁front iers ▁beyond ▁the ▁El be ▁River , ▁which ▁triple d ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁Germany ▁in ▁the ▁process . ▁The ▁Catholic ▁Church , ▁which ▁reached ▁the ▁peak ▁of ▁its ▁political ▁power ▁around ▁then , ▁called ▁arm ies ▁from ▁across ▁Europe ▁to ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁Cr us ades ▁against ▁the ▁Sel j uk ▁Tur ks . ▁The ▁cr us aders ▁occupied ▁the ▁Holy ▁Land ▁and ▁founded ▁the ▁Cr us ader ▁States ▁in ▁the ▁Lev ant