History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 87, Emperor Frederick's Crusade, Roman numeral 1.

Hello again. Now before we start, I just need to tell you that I have a cold this week.

Don't panic, I'm not contagious, but if I sound a bit funny, that's why.

Last week we took a closer look at the King of Sicily and German Emperor Frederick II.

Frederick made his crusading vow way back in 1,215 at his coronation ceremony, but as yet had failed to set out

on Crusade. The fact that he had neglected to fulfill his vows contributed to the failure of the Fifth Crusade,

and the new Pope Gregory 9th wanted to put this upstart emperor back in his place. Frederick had been on good terms

with the two previous popes, Pope Innocent and Pope Honorius.

Pope Honorius had even been Frederick's childhood tutor for a while,

but Pope Gregory was different. Pope Gregory was different.

was Pope Innocent's nephew and shared his uncle's interest in the law and diplomacy.

In so far as Frederick was concerned, well, it seemed that Pope Gregory disliked

him personally and mistrusted him politically.

You might remember from last week's episode that shortly after Emperor Frederick's marriage

to the unfortunate Yolanda, Pope Onaurius managed to get Frederick to agree in writing to embark on his long promised

crusade by the 15th of August 1227 on pain of excommunication.

Specifically, the agreement stipulated that Frederick was to lead an army of a thousand knights to the

Holy Land and make available 150 ships to transport European

Crusaders to the Middle East.

Well, by the time the summer of 1227 rolled around, it appeared that Emperor Frederick intended

to honour the agreement.

...