History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 205, the Baltic Crusades, the Livonian Crusade Part 11, attacking the neighbors.

Hello again.

Last week we saw a couple of headaches emerge for Bishop Albert.

Despite successfully Christianizing most of the Levonians and Letts, Pope Innocent had granted

the Sword Brothers the right to administer one-third of the new Christian lands and their rough-handed rule was affecting Bishop

Albert's plans for the region.

To make matters worse, back in Europe, two influential men who had supported and

overseen Bishop Albert's adventure in Lavonia had died. Bishop Albert's uncle, Archbishop Hartwig, and the near victor in the fight for the imperial throne, Philip of Hoens-Staufen.

As we saw last week, while Otto of Saxony swooped in to take advantage of Philip's death, there was no immediate replacement for Archbishop Hartwig.

Two men went to war over the powerful position of Archbishop and at the moment the position remains unfield.

So at the present time in Saxony everyone is holding their breath.

Everyone fully expects the new everyone is holding their breath.

Everyone fully expects the new victor in the Imperial Civil War,

Otto of Saxony, to use his new power to boot King Valdemar out of the Holy Roman Empire. So the noble

men in Danish occupied Saxon lands are sharpening their swords and preparing their men, ready to start fighting the Danes.

But Otto doesn't turn his attentions to his homeland. No, in a move, his way down south to Italy. Why? Well because Otto had his eyes firmly focused on the

big picture. He knew that he required people support to be elected Holy Roman Emperor.

Pope Innocent couldn't have cared less about the Danish occupation of Saxony,

but he cared very much about the restoration of territory to the

Papal States in Italy. So Otto marched south to deal with Italy and gained some brownie points from Pope innocent.

While the Saxon nobleman scratched their heads in confusion, and King Valdema settled back on his throne with a big sigh of relief.

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