What was one consequence of the Crusades regarding social structure in Europe?

One significant consequence of the Crusades was increased social fluidity and the emergence of a middle class. As the Crusades opened up trade routes between Europe and the East, there was a surge in commerce that led to economic growth. This growth facilitated the rise of towns and urban centers, where merchants and tradespeople began to establish a new social class that was distinct from both the nobility and the peasantry.

The influx of wealth from trade and the return of Crusaders added to the economic activity, which weakened the rigid feudal social structure that had dominated Europe. As towns grew and more people engaged in trade and crafts, opportunities for social mobility increased, allowing those who were not born into aristocratic families to gain wealth and status. This laid the groundwork for the development of a more dynamic social hierarchy and, eventually, a burgeoning middle class that would play a crucial role in shaping European society in the centuries to follow.