Later Crusades — Northern — Against Christians — The Crusade was prosecuted primarily by the French crown and promptly took on a political aspect. It resulted in the significant reduction of practicing Cathars and a realignment of the County of Toulouse with the French crown.
The distinct regional culture of Languedoc was also diminished. The Cathars originated from an anti-materialist reform movement within the Bogomil churches of the Balkans calling for what they saw as a return to the Christian message of perfection, poverty and preaching, combined with a rejection of the physical. The reforms were a reaction against the often perceived scandalous and dissolute lifestyles of the Catholic clergy.
Their theology, Gnostic in many ways, was basically dualist. Several of their practices, especially their belief in the inherent evil of the physical world, conflicted with the doctrines of the Incarnation of Christ and Catholic sacraments. This led to accusations of Gnosticism and attracted the ire of the Catholic establishment. They became known as the Albigensians because many adherents were from the city of Albi and the surrounding area in the 12th and 13th centuries.
Between and , the Cathars were condemned by eight local church councils, the last of which, held at Tours , declared that all Albigenses should be put into prison and have their property confiscated. The Third Lateran Council of repeated the condemnation. Innocent III's diplomatic attempts to roll back Catharism were met with little success. He offered the lands of the Cathar heretics to any French nobleman willing to take up arms.
From to , the Crusaders experienced great success, capturing Cathar lands and systematically crushing the movement. From to , a series of revolts caused many of the lands to be regained by the Cathars.
