Final answer:
The Crusaders' plans varied: initially to capture Jerusalem during the First Crusade, avoid Byzantine obstacles in the Fourth, and exploit Muslim disarray in the Fifth by targeting Egypt, specifically Damietta. However, the Fourth Crusade was diverted to capture Zara due to a debt to Venice, straying from the intended path.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Crusaders' strategic objectives varied across the different Crusades. For instance, in the First Crusade, their ultimate goal was the recapture of Jerusalem, achieved in 1099 after a wrathful assault on the city's inhabitants. In this crusade, despite the melding of pilgrimage and warfare, the Crusaders' violent seizure shocked both the Christian and Muslim worlds. As the Crusading movement continued, strategies evolved. In the Fourth Crusade, the Crusaders' planned to avoid Byzantine entanglement by sailing directly to the Holy Land, but their indebtedness to Venice led them astray to attack Zara. This contravened Pope Innocent III's intentions and resulted in the Crusaders being excommunicated. Subsequently, internal Muslim conflicts and the lack of European settlers in Outremer weakened the Crusader States, prompting further crusades to defend these territories. The Second Crusade emerged in response to the loss of Edessa. The Fifth Crusade tried to capitalize on Muslim disarray and aimed for Egypt, capturing Damietta, but ultimately did not achieve their larger objectives.