298 Crusades Lecture 19 April 11 Flashcards
24a. Start April 11
Coup in Constantinople
Isaac II Comnenus had lost throne in 1195 to his brother. Blinded, imprisoned.
New emperor: Alexius III, evil uncle of Alexius Angelus
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24b. Young Alexius sends envoys to crusaders.
Deal with crusaders; sail to Constantinople and take the city and restore me. And I will supply you for mission to holy land. And I will restore the Greek church to the Latin church and recognize papal supremacy.
Alexius would even join the crusade personally
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24c. Most crusaders dislike this.
Leaders realize they need money for crusade to be successful
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24d. Get to Constantinople.
Despite A’s promises, people do not rise up to overthrow evil uncle.
Mooned crusaders instead
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24e. July 1203
northern suburb unsuccessfully attacked.
Starts fire, though. Large.
Alexius III flees with gold
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24f. Isaac restored by the people. Alexius co-emperor.
Mission accomplished?
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24g. Alexius pays half of what he promised immeidately.
Cannot pay more without becoming more unpopular than he already is.
Due to letting barbarians stay and feeding their gold lust.
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24h.Alexius asked crusaders to winter to consolidate his power. Fears being overthrone. Would give him time to get money together.
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24i. Relations begin to sour. Crusaders start some fires in teh city.
One of hte biggest urban fires in human history. Center of city.
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24j. Crusaders angry that they’ve not been paid what they’ve been promised.
Demand payment –> run out of town
“pay themselves”: raiding the surrounding area
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24k. Isaac dies in winter 1203
Alexius unable to stop raids
City enraged. Finds champion. Alexius “Mourtzouphlos”
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24l.Champion leads a coup in Feb 1204
Strangles Alexius IV
Becomes Alexius V
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24m. People happy.
Crusaders appalled
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24n. Crusaders in a bind.
Clergy steps in: Byz failure to accept primacy of Rome and the murder of hte emperor means the city was a legitimate target of crusade.
Complete opposite of wishes of Innocent
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24o. April 8 attack on Northern harbor. Fails.
April 12 same place attacked, More successful.
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24p. Small group of knights find walled up gate.
Warrior priest first through, brother trying to hold him back.
Big guy.
Roars
Soldiers run away.
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24q. Priest opens a gate.
Crusaders rush in.
Soldiers run. Most not cityfolk.
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24r. Alexius tries to rally the people to counter-attack.
They don’t.
City hasn’t, can’t fall. It will just be a new emperor.
So very very wrong
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24s. 3 days of pillaging. Most profitable sacking of a city in history, one of.
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24t. Innocent at first delighted that Constantionple in Catholic hands.
Learns of sacking: enraged
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24z. Crusaders stuck in Zara. What to do?
Egypt: no provisions while fighting
Syria: burden
Enter conspiracy theorists.
Coup in Constantinople.
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- 1204 to 1261. Latin Empire Of Byz. Emperor Baldwin of Flanders
Raided and pillaged the empire rather mercilessly.
Hope of Christian Unity. Nope
Hope of help to holy land. Nope
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- Innocent not pleased. Excommunicated a second time.
Crusader vow broken. Unconscionable.
Crusade effectively ended with the second excommunication.
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- New wave of propaganda over who is to blame.
Villehardouin. One of the military commanders of the 4th crusade.
Very detailed chronicle. Determined to show that the leaders had had no other options.
Look to Alexius and the Greeks or the Venetians for a bad guy.
Venetians probably had this all planned from the start. Doge must have plotted with Alexius from the start.
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- Innocent never let up on the crusaders.
In the holy land; the catholic archbishop in Jerusalem had raced up to C. supposedly to help restore C to Catholicism.
Innocent excommunicated him for abandoning his flock to line your pockets and has a long list of how the anchbishop had enriched himself, supplied by an informant.
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- Innocent wanted another crusade and then a third crusade to unseat the crusaders in C. Second called (Cathars); third not.
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