The German Crusade of 1197–1198

Abstract

This article reconsiders the significance of the German Crusade of 1197–98, often dismissed as a very minor episode in the history of the crusading movement. It examines the results of the expedition and some of the problems which dogged it on its arrival in the East, and which eventually led to its abandonment, especially the relations of the crusaders with the Franks of Outremer. However, this study devotes most attention to the process of calling the crusade, and to its composition and recruitment, placing this within the context of late twelfth-century Germany. Despite political problems which hampered its recruitment, the eventual expedition was on a considerable scale and probably not much smaller than that led by Frederick Barbarossa in 1189–90. The genesis of the expedition also throws a revealing light on Staufen rule over Germany, and in particular on the relations of the emperor with his princely subjects, especially in the way the preparation for the crusade was connected to Henry VI’s plans for securing the succession for his dynasty. It is also suggested that the crusade was far more significant to the policy of Henry VI than has hitherto been realized.