A blessing and a curse to us middle eastern Christians. On one hand, the crusaders inflamed the already hostile Muslim Christian relations and we got caught in the middle. They also pushed Byzantium over the edge and persecuted Arab orthodox Christians in the holy land as if they were Muslim too.
However, on the other hand, the French crusaders were pleasantly surprised to find the Maronites, fellow Catholics, who were the only people who greeted them welcomingly. The Maronites has been living in mountain valleys for centuries and had long awaited the arrival of catholic reinforcements. Up to 40,000 Maronites fought with the crusaders, many taking the role of crossbow archer. It was at this crossroads of history that the destiny of the Maronites truly began. From then on we had a consistent relationship with France, who saved us from the ottoman Turks and later created Lebanon, the only Christian-led middle eastern nation. Without Lebanon, Christianity in the Levant May have had a far different outcome. As a Maronite myself, the crusaders were a curse when it came to our relationship with Muslims and orthodox, but also a blessing that empowered us.