Crusade of 1197

Crusade of 1197
Part of the Crusades
Date22 September 1197 – 1 July 1198
Location
The Levant
Result Crusader victory
Territorial
changes
Beirut restored to the Kingdom of Jerusalem
Belligerents

Holy Roman Empire

Ayyubids
Commanders and leaders

Henry VI  #

Al-Adil I
Strength
16,000[1] Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown

The Crusade of 1197, also known as the Crusade of Henry VI (German: Kreuzzug Heinrichs VI.) or the German Crusade (Deutscher Kreuzzug), was a crusade launched by the Hohenstaufen emperor Henry VI in response to the aborted attempt of his father, Emperor Frederick I, during the Third Crusade in 1189–90. Thus the military campaign is also known as the "Emperor's Crusade" (echoing the name "Kings' Crusade" given to the Third Crusade).[2]

While his forces were already on their way to the Holy Land, Henry VI died before his departure in Messina on 28 September 1197. The emerging throne conflict between his brother Philip of Swabia and the Welf rival Otto of Brunswick made many higher-ranking crusaders return to Germany in order to protect their interests in the next imperial election.[3] The nobles remaining on the campaign captured the Levant coast between Tyre and Tripoli before returning to Germany. The Crusade ended after the Christians captured Sidon and Beirut from the Muslims in 1198.[3]

  1. ^ Loud 2014, p. 160.
  2. ^ The Crusades, C. 1071-c. 1291 By Jean Richard, Jean Birrell, pg. 237
  3. ^ a b Norwich, John Julius (1997). A Short History of Byzantium. New York: Vintage Books. p. 298.

© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search