Crusade of 1197
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Crusades |
|---|
| First – People's – German – 1101 – Second – Wendish – Third – Livonian – 1197 – Fourth – Albigensian – Children's – Fifth – Prussian – Sixth – Seventh – Shepherds' – Eighth – Ninth – Aragonese – Alexandrian – Nicopolis – Northern – Hussite – Varna – Otranto |
The Crusade of 1197 (also known as the Crusade of Henry VI or the German Crusade of 1197) was an abortive crusade launched by the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI in response to the failure of Frederick I Barbarossa's crusade in 1190. The Crusade ended in failure[1]; Henry VI died of a fever in Messina in October of 1197, with many higher ranking nobles returning to Germany to protect their interests in the next election. A civil war shortly followed[1] and the remaining nobles in the Crusade fled, leaving the soldiers leaderless and the Crusade defunct.
Contents |
[edit] Background
In 1187, Saladin captured Jerusalem from the Crusader states. In an effort to reclaim it, the Third Crusade was launched by King Philip Augustus of France, King Richard Couer de Lion of England and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa. Frederick Barbarossa died in Anatolia and the German Crusade, which may have included between 100,000 and 150,000 men, disbanded.[2] The Holy Land remained largely a Muslim stronghold, ensuring further Crusades.
Frederick's older son Henry VI declared a new Crusade hoping that the massive momentum of the Third could still be utilized. Despite the failure of the Third Crusade, a large number responded[1]:
- Two Archbishops
- Nine Bishops
- Five dukes
A large number of minor nobles also joined the Crusade and before long a powerful military host was on its way.
[edit] The Crusade sets sail
Before departing, Henry VI decided to take advantage of his Father's threat of force against Byzantium to exact tribute and had a threatening letter sent to the Byzantine Emperor, Isaac Angelus. However, Isaac was overthrown in April of 1195 by his brother Alexius III Angelus. Worse than his brother, Alexius immediately submitted to the tributary demands of Henry VI and exacted extortionate taxes on his subjects to pay the Crusaders 5,000 pounds of gold.
From Messina, the Crusader army set sail, immediately confronting their Saracen enemies. When news of Henry's death from fever in October of 1197[1] reached the Crusaders, many of the leaders departed to settle the succession dispute. A civil war shortly broke out and the remaining Crusader leaders rushed to Germany to secure their lands.
With many of the nobles gone, the Crusader army found itself leaderless in 1198 and no more success was to be achieved from it.
[edit] References
- Norwich, John Julius (1997). A Short History of Byzantium. New York: Vintage Books.
