Fourth Crusade Events

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- To avoid trouble with the Byzantine Christians, they took ships, as they were no longer happy to have the Crusaders marching across their lands and destroying their crops etc.

- Summer Copiegne 1200, french barons met and decided to send six representatives to the Doge Enrico Dandolo with blank parchments, our day equivalent of a blank check. Two of the representatives were Geoffery of Villehardouin and Conan of Bethune.

- They arrived to meet the Doge early 1201. The agreement was for travel for 33,500 people, at five marks per horse and two per man. Also agreed to provide food and 50 galleys to the Crusaders. The food for nine months. This was a total cost of 85,000, and agreed that their conquests would be shared. Venice required one year to complete this list, and which they did. --> May 1201 Innocent confirmed this agreement, but he also stated that the Crusaders were forbidden to attack fellow Christians unless they set out to harm the progress of the Crusade.

- 24th May 1201 Count Thibaut of Champagne died. Many knights left the Crusade, and Geoffrey proposed the marquis of Montferrat, Boniface. August 1201 at Soissons Boniface was accepted and recognised as the leader.

- 24th June 1202 Venice was ready, however only around 15,000 Crusaders had been able to materialise at Venice. They were not bound by a king, so if there were cheaper alternative routes then they were likely to take them. Many sailed from Marseilles and went directly to Syria, Acre. Those in Venice were camped on the island of San Niccolo, managed to scrape together 51,000 marks.

- Siege of Zara, November 1202, this was the moment that the Venetians were allowed to join the Crusade. They delayed the payment of the remaining 34,000 marks. In return the Crusaders were to assist in the capture of the Dalmation town of Zara, which freed itself in 1186 from Venetian rule. But, Zara under the King of Hungary who was a crusader Emeric. The pope in May 1201 had prevented attacks against fellow Christians.

- January 1203 envoys from Young Alexius arrived to present proposals. He declared that it was his throne by right, that in return for their help he would pay them 200,000 silver marks, provide provisions for the Crusaders, a contingent of 10,00 men, and he would maintain in the Holy Land a body of 500 knights. Also, he promised to ensure the submission of the

Greek church to that of Rome. This was favourably received by the leaders of Blois, Flanders and Boniface. Simon de Montfort enraged, and deserted.

-First attack of Constantinople July 1203. This detour by Constantinople would assure Byzantine support when they captured it, and the best way of achieving the Egypt expedition and paying off the Venetians, and then the Holy land.

-29th September 1203, the Crusaders prolonged their stay. Young Alexius feared that when the army departed, he was unable to consolidate his position. Moreover, he had only provided 100,000 of the silver marks, most of which went to the venetians. The fixed departure was 29th September 1203. Young Alexius wanted the Crusaders to prolong their stay by a year so that he could pay them off, but so that he would be able to consolidate his position. This led to further unrest.

- The Sacking of Constantinople April 1204. Prolonging their stay proved to be fatal for the Fourth Crusade. Young Alexius was crowned Alexius IV. Basically, riots, and he was replaced by a distant cousin ALEXIUS DUCAS MURZUPHULUS who became Alexius V. The murder of the emperor who had convinced Crusaders of his legitimacy offended their loyalty. Alexius V didn't see himself bound to Crusader promises. Crusaders were left with no food or money, and far from their goal of Jerusalem. The Venetians were also reliant on the promised money of Alexius IV. After two months of raids and pillaging, Crusaders and Venetians agreed on the conquest of Constantinople April 1204.