| Sumario: | This chapter deals with the impact of the Mongol Empire on the Latin West at a crucial moment in the history of the Crusades. At this time, the Mamluks had brought the Sultanate of Cairo to its zenith, and the Holy Land had been completely lost. The enormous territorial continuum created by the Mongols, and its decisive effect in accelerating Eurasian Integration, was seen by a group of European theorists as an opportunity to alter the balance of power in the Mediterranean and secure tangible benefits. The chapter discusses three analytical categories that formed the basis of a new crusade ideology: the search for alliances in the East; control of economic circulation; and the emergence of the missionary crusade. The chapter demonstrates how this new ideology was inextricably linked to the Mongol Empire’s impact on the Mediterranean in the 13th century and its significance in understanding the early stages of European expansion, including the search for the Indies, the exploration of Africa, and Atlantic exploration in the 14th and 15th centuries.
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