The crusade against the Staufer in Germany, 1246-51

In the conflict between Holy Emperor Frederick II and Pope Innocent IV, the papal argument that this change of power was a crusade and thus a holy war with an important spiritual dimension largely failed to take hold in Germany. Instead, the way the crusade unfolded in practice was determined by the logic of attaining royal power in Germany, while the political and legal necessities for Frederick II’s deposition determined how Pope Innocent IV chose to phrase the justification for war. Politics drove religious ideology in a way that made it distinct from other crusades. Thus, the crusade against the Staufer merits description as a ‘political crusade.’ The analysis is based on thirteenth century chronicles and annals, mainly produced in Germany but also beyond, as well as charters issued by protagonists of the conflict. Most chronicles and annals did not report the military campaigns by using language typical of crusading. Hence chronicles create a dissimilar picture of the same events to papal letters, which are often prescriptive. The difference in language between the sources has shaped the historiography on the crusade until this day. The crusade was shaped by the prerequisites of becoming the new King of the Romans, and of putting rulership into practice. Henry Raspe conceptualised his military strategy as a direct fight to overthrow Conrad IV, while William of Holland strengthened his rule after his coronation by conquering imperial lands and property, especially royal palaces. Juxtaposing their strategies highlights their different approaches to affecting a change of power in Germany. By addressing this hitherto neglected subject, the thesis contributes to two disciplines: to crusader studies by analysing the crusade against the Staufer in its German context, and to German history by explaining the role the crusade played in the conflict between Emperor Frederick II and the papacy.