Republic of Venice

Timeline

1. c. 1000–1100Venetian Lagoon · VenetoIn the 11th century Venice consolidated its control over Adriatic trade, with the doge and the Great Council of nobles governing jointly; its merchant fleet linked Byzantium and the Levant, laying the foundation for its later maritime hegemony in the Crusading era.
2. c. 1121–1130Venice and the Eastern Mediterranean · WorldwideIn the 1120s the Republic of Venice controlled eastern Mediterranean supply lines with merchant ships and galleys, providing the Crusaders with sea transport and transshipment services, accumulating wealth and expanding its commercial footholds in the Aegean and along the Syrian coast.
3. 1204Constantinople · ByzantineIn 1204 Venice steered the Fourth Crusade toward the capture of Constantinople, gaining colonies such as Crete and the Aegean islands, bringing the maritime republic's power to its zenith.