The Crusader System and the Pressure Valve on Europe

Jared: I don't think that actually works, but it's a fun idea. Any more than naming a star after yourself is going to work. So the thing that happened is even the nobility is in crisis because it's not enough land to support the number of descendants. And then the crusades come along and here's an opportunity to release the pressure valve on Europe. These little entities called crusader states crop up as a result of the crusades.