Final answer:
The Crusader States were four territories established by the Crusaders in the Middle East, stretching 400 miles from Edessa in the north to Jerusalem in the south. They were held by the Crusaders during the period of the Crusades in the late 11th to 13th centuries but eventually fell due to political and military actions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Crusaders established four states in the Middle East that came to be known as the Crusader States. These include: the County of Edessa, the Principality of Antioch, the County of Tripoli, and the Kingdom of Jerusalem. This area, stretching about 400 miles from Edessa to Jerusalem, acted as a Christian stronghold in the Middle East from the late 11th to the 13th centuries, during the period of the Crusades.
During the First Crusade, which began in 1095, the Crusaders captured Jerusalem and established the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The County of Tripoli and other Crusader States followed. However, by the late 13th century, all these states had fallen either through political intrigue or military action notably by Muslim forces.
The Crusades proved to be intensely complex and violent periods of history marked by religious fervor, political scheming, cultural interaction, and ultimately, territorial disputes. Their legacy continues to resonate in modern Middle Eastern and Western histories.
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