David Vance SubstackRead More
Let’s start with the original Crusades, shall we?
These, as you know, were a series of epic religious and military conflicts fought between Christian and Muslim forces from the 11th to the 15th centuries.
Their main goal was to reclaim Jerusalem and other sacred Christian sites in the Holy Land from Muslim control. Over time they expanded to include campaigns in Europe and even in North Africa. Christian forces were pretty successful and brought about the “tragedy of Andalusis” This refers to the fall of Islamic al‑Andalus — the Muslim‑ruled civilisation that flourished in the Iberian Peninsula from 711 to 1492 when Christian kingdoms reconquered the region from Muslim control. In short, we got Christendom back. Muslims still resent the loss of 1492,
But if we look across the European land mass in 2025, Muslims are back, with a vengeance. Today, the Muslim population of Europe is estimated at around 46 million people, representing roughly 6% of the continent’s total population of about 745 million. It is also fast growing and may hit 100-150m by 2050. The highest projected shares will appear in the Balkans and Nordic countries, while France, the UK, and Germany will host the continent’s largest total Muslim populations.
What will this mean for us?
