Crusade of 1197
Encyclopedia
The Crusade of 1197 was a crusade launched by the Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VI
in response to the failure of Frederick I Barbarossa's crusade in 1190
, and thus is also known as the "Emperor's Crusade." The Crusade ended in utter failure. 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 imperial election. The remaining nobles in the Crusade captured Sidon
and Beirut
before returning to Germany.
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 Coeur de Lion of England and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa. Frederick Barbarossa died after drowning in Anatolia and the German Crusade, which may have included between 100,000 and 150,000 men, disbanded. The Holy Land remained largely a Muslim stronghold.
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:
A large number of minor nobles also joined the Crusade and before long a powerful military host was on its way.
to exact tribute and had a threatening letter sent to the Byzantine Emperor, Isaac Angelus. Isaac had been overthrown in April of 1195 by his brother Alexius III Angelus. Alexius immediately submitted to the tributary demands of Henry VI and then exacted high taxes from his subjects to pay the Crusaders 5,000 pounds of gold. Before he could set sail, Henry died. When this occurred, a substantial German army was already on their way to Palestine. The crusaders landed at Acre
in September 1197 and captured Sidon
and Beirut
. When news of the emperor's death reached them the Crusaders returned home without any further victories.
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
Henry VI
Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VI was King of Germany from 1190 to 1197, Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 to 1197 and King of Sicily from 1194 to 1197.-Early years:Born in Nijmegen,...
in response to the failure of Frederick I Barbarossa's crusade in 1190
Third Crusade
The Third Crusade , also known as the Kings' Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin...
, and thus is also known as the "Emperor's Crusade." The Crusade ended in utter failure. 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 imperial election. The remaining nobles in the Crusade captured Sidon
Sidon
Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah...
and Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
before returning to Germany.
Background
In 1187 SaladinSaladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
captured Jerusalem
Siege of Jerusalem (1187)
On July 4, 1187 the Kingdom's army was defeated at the Battle of Hattin by Saladin and only Balian of Ibelin commanding a small number of soldiers remained in Jerusalem. The Siege of Jerusalem lasted from September 20 to October 2, 1187. On October 2, 1187 Balian of Ibelin surrendered Jerusalem to...
from the Crusader states
Crusader states
The Crusader states were a number of mostly 12th- and 13th-century feudal states created by Western European crusaders in Asia Minor, Greece and the Holy Land , and during the Northern Crusades in the eastern Baltic area...
. In an effort to reclaim it, the Third Crusade
Third Crusade
The Third Crusade , also known as the Kings' Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin...
was launched by King Philip Augustus of France, King Richard Coeur de Lion of England and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa. Frederick Barbarossa died after drowning in Anatolia and the German Crusade, which may have included between 100,000 and 150,000 men, disbanded. The Holy Land remained largely a Muslim stronghold.
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:
- 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.
German Crusade
Henry VI decided to take advantage of his Father's threat of force against ByzantiumByzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
to exact tribute and had a threatening letter sent to the Byzantine Emperor, Isaac Angelus. Isaac had been overthrown in April of 1195 by his brother Alexius III Angelus. Alexius immediately submitted to the tributary demands of Henry VI and then exacted high taxes from his subjects to pay the Crusaders 5,000 pounds of gold. Before he could set sail, Henry died. When this occurred, a substantial German army was already on their way to Palestine. The crusaders landed at Acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
in September 1197 and captured Sidon
Sidon
Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah...
and Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. When news of the emperor's death reached them the Crusaders returned home without any further victories.