Muslim expansion wars: 736 AD
In a way you're right, you've just got the agressor wrong. In fact the crusades were started because of muslim agression. Because, and I'm quoting muslim historical sources here "the blood of Christians was standing above our knees in Jerusalem".
Apparently the Muslims did a big land grab about 1500 years ago or so (just like the Romans did before them) and that's, apparently, where it all started.
Turns out it has nothing to do with the US foreign policy of the past 60 or so years, the creation of the state of Israel (and the Israelis being a bunch of dicks about it, and for the record, I'm most certainly NOT an anti Semite, though I'm allergic to assholes) and the British hopelessly trying to colonize Afghanistan throughout 1800's and a whole bunch of other dickhead moves by the west and their buddies.
Apologies. I'm not trying to insult your (or anyone's) intelligence. I just couldn't resist...
/sarcasm
PS: I'm very much a westerner, white male, atheist, born and raised in the Netherlands and currently living in Australia, for what ever it's worth.
THAT is my entire point.
I'm not trying to belittle or avoid the fact that people were demonized during these conflicts, in some cases with very unpleasant consequences. However, that had little to do with the conflicts themselves.
Iraq for invaded because oil most certainly, using the fear of WMDs as the excuse.
You're also conflating the original source of each conflict with the reason for WHY the large masses joined in and took sides, the reason for why the conflicts COULD become large and dangerous.
conflict one: economy was down the toilet, was attempt to fix it
conflict two: economy was bad, was attempt to fix that
My point was that conflicts happen (and grow) because the economy turns down, not because some people get demonized. That's a propaganda tool at best.