Introduction:
Here it is, before you start reading, it is 2,468 words long and extremely complicated. So read it slow and carefully to understand it. I believe my head was in the ninth dimension when constructing this in my head and I listen to a lot of Def Leppard, in order to write it down. Never the less I have enjoyed it. Enjoy.
Like I said before, one can learn an awful lot in the past, and translate it into the circumstance and shape it accordingly to the present and the future.
Looking at the past:
Incident: “When Pepin the Short sought to become king of the Franks in the 8th century, the church needed military protection, so Pepin found it convenient to make an ally of the pope.
Frederick Barbarossa, however, desired to put the Pope aside and claim the crown of old Rome simply because he was in the likeness of the greatest emperors of the pre-Christian era. Pope Adrian IV was naturally opposed to this view and undertook a vigorous propaganda campaign designed to diminish Frederick and his ambition. To a large extent, this was successful.”
Conclusion: Frederick (II) must conclude from this, that one should keep ones plans private, so private in fact that only you or close relatives should know about the ‘full plan’. He should also conclude that a ‘pre-emptive’ strike against the Pope is required. Not to kill but to capture. It is intriguing that only a propaganda campaign destroyed Frederick Barbarossa’s plans to become the ‘King of Rome’.
Roman law:
Frederick Barbarossa is famous for the reintegration of ‘Roman law’, otherwise known as the Justinian code. The text below is extremely revealing of the state in which the Holy Roman Empire was in, in comparison to the Roman Empire.
“The Justinian code envisaged that the law of the state as a reflection of the natural moral law (as seen by the men of the Justinian system), the principle of rationality in the universe. By the time Frederick assumed the throne, this legal system was well established on both sides of the Alps.
- Emperor's power through Roman law:
- He was the first to utilize the availability of the new professional class of lawyers.
- The Civil Law allowed Frederick to use these lawyers to administer his kingdom in a logical and consistent manner.
- It also provided a framework to legitimize his claim to the right to rule both Germany and northern Italy.
- In the old days of Henry V and Henry VI, the claim of divine right of kings had been severely undermined by the Investiture Controversy.
Critical Problem: The Church had won that argument in the common man's mind. There was no divine right for the German king to also control the church by naming both bishops and popes.
It was through the use of the restored Justinian code that Frederick came to view himself as a new Roman emperor. Roman law gave a rational purpose for the existence of Frederick and his imperial ambitions. It was a counterweight to the claims of the Church to have authority because of divine revelation. The Church was opposed to Frederick for ideological reasons, not the least of which was the humanist nature found in the revival of the old Roman legal system. The institution of the Justinian code was used, perhaps unscrupulously, by Frederick to lay claim to divine powers.
Conclusion: Frederick restoration of Roman law was a crucial step in gaining legitimacy, but never the less imperial power still remained fractured through decentralization and the Italians refusal to subject to Germany. It was Frederick lack of imperial authority in Italy, the fact he had to military enforce it, the sheer size of military capability required in relation to the logistical means against him which made him falter. Finally this strange and powerful foe: the pope and his allies were all against him gaining legitimacy.
Investiture Controversy:
The investiture controversy was the conflict between the state of the Church regarding a state sovereign’s ability to appoint local church officials through investiture. Holy Roman imperial power was undercut through the weight of the Investiture controversy. It is important to understand ‘What is imperial power?’ and once you have defined it, you can understand what the state could do and could not do. Imperial power is defined as: I quote:
- “the policy or practice of extending a state's rule over other territories
- an instance or policy of aggressive behaviour by one state against another
- the extension or attempted extension of authority, influence, power, etc, by any person, country, institution, etc:
- cultural imperialism:
- a system of imperial government or rule by an emperor
- the spirit, character, authority, etc, of an empire
- advocacy of or support for any form of imperialism”
Conclusion: In this case of the Investiture controversy it was attacking the very “spirit, character, authority” of the Holy Roman Empire. A compromise to the investiture controversy was negotiated in the Concordat of Worms in 1122. However, it was a ‘compromise’ and the emperor gained some power but it did not go far enough. It requires vassalage of the pope for people to understand that the state is higher the god’s preacher, not gods preacher is higher than the state.
Despite the emperor “eliminated lay investiture, it allowed secular leaders some room for unofficial but significant influence in the appointment process. While the monarchy was embroiled in the dispute with the Church,
its power declined while the localized rights of lordship over peasants increased. This eventually led to:
- Increased serfdom that reduced rights for the majority
- Local taxes and levies increased, while royal coffers declined
- Localized rights of justice where courts did not have to answer to royal authority”
Analysis:
The state of the church (Papal States) used Christianity as a method of obedience, especially against this Kingdom of the Germans/Romans (HRE) territory; it believed that this ‘territory’ was a fiefdom of the state of the church through god. If there were ever a time when there was a higher title than emperor, then the Pope believed he was that person. The Pope could not rule such a territory of HRE size, because that would mean they would have to govern it as a proper state, as they did in their own Papal territory. Therefore the state of the church decided to crown this ‘territory’ as an ‘empire’, this is due to the Western Roman Empire collapsing. As a consequence, the crowning of the emperor was a counterbalance by Christianity/Pope, in the balance of power equation in relation to the Byzantine Empire. (Eastern Roman Empire) However, this emperor was just a puppet of the Pope, because everyone obeyed the church, not the ‘state/emperor’. In conclusion, Frederick Barbarossa, Henry VI and Frederick II were trying to reverse this equation. That is in a literal sense.
The desired effect of Frederick II crowning himself as the ‘Latin emperor’ is for the allegiance towards the state of the church by the average day person, soldier, nobility, ecclesiastical folk and maybe even Italian principalities/city-states to peel away in the ‘Kingdom of Italy’ and in the Papal States themselves. By proclaiming himself as the ‘Latin emperor’ he is distinguishing himself as a ‘proper’ emperor. Not some title that has been bestowed upon him by god’s human preacher: The Pope. Most importantly he will be distinguished as an emperor because he has another empirical title other than the empirical title given to him by the Pope. The title will also give him some legitimacy in relation to his realm being Holy because the Latin Empire was a Crusader State.
Don’t let other people take care of your business. I quote:
Problem: “During Frederick's stay in the Holy Land, his regent, Rainald of Spoleto, had attacked the Marche and the Duchy of Spoleto. Gregory IX recruited an army under John of Brienne and, in 1229, invaded southern Italy. His troops overcame an initial resistance at Montecassino and reached Apulia. Frederick arrived at Brindisi in June 1229. He quickly recovered the lost territories and trialled the rebel barons, but avoided crossing the boundaries with the Papal States. The war came to an end with the Treaty of Ceprano in the summer of 1230; the emperor personally met Gregory IX at Anagni, making some concessions to the church in Sicily. He also issued the Constitutions of Melfi (August 1231), as an attempt to solve the political and administrative problems of the country, which had dramatically been shown by the recent war.”
Rainald was appointed by the Papacy and was granted sweeping powers, which he did not hesitate to use. In that year, he invaded the March and granted privileges to Osimo, San Ginesio, Ripatransone, and Recanati.
Solution: This is avoided because Frederick goes on the Fifth Crusade in 1217 when he is king of the Romans not the Holy Roman Emperor.
How the “Statutes in favor of the princes” and “Treaty with the princes of the church” made Frederick powerless. I quote:
Problem: “Frederick's son Henry VII (who was born 1211 in Sicily, son of Frederick's first wife Constance of Aragon) had caused their discontent with an aggressive policy against their privileges. This forced Henry to a complete capitulation, and the Statutum in favorem principum ("Statutes in favor of the princes"), issued at Worms, deprived the emperor of much of his sovereignty in Germany. Frederick summoned Henry to a meeting, which was held at Aquileia in 1232. Henry confirmed his submission, but Frederick was nevertheless compelled to confirm the Statutum at Cividale soon afterwards.”
Solution: This is avoided through a victorious fifth crusade, recapturing the kingdom of Jerusalem and maybe even creating an Egyptian crusader state. (Open to discretion to the latter.)
Timeline – 1217 – 1233:
1217: Goes on Crusade.
On Crusade, Frederick encounters a variety of different cultures from all over Europe who have come to Crusade. This includes Germans, French, Dutch, Flemish, Frisian, Venetians, Hungarians, Croats and Italians from all different realms of Europe, including: Austria, Tyrol, Bavaria, Merania, Thuringia, Holland, Baden, Cologne, Brixen, Passau, Hungry, Croatia, Halych, France, Flanders, Rodez, Papal States, Jerusalem, Cyprus, Latin Empire, Knights Templar, Teutonic Order, Knights Hospitaller.
(All events must occur up until 1217; otherwise it would alter the timeline considerably. This includes Henry or Constance not dying, Frederick not been given to Pope Innocent III as a guardian, who was then tutored by Cencio (Pope Honorius III). However, Frederick (King of the Romans) accepting to go on the fifth Crusade in 1217 gives the opportunity to alter his personality and his perspective on the world. (Age 23) Time away from court alters how he perceives the world.)
In conclusion from this, he learns of the vast size of the realm he is to be emperor in relation to Europe. It is during the Crusade that he learns extensively of states around Europe, including the Latin Empire.
Equally as important, Frederick is tested by live combat as a warrior, tactician and strategist. ‘Winning battles’, ‘important battles’ and ‘pivotal battles’ that lead to the Muslims surrendering are only going to contribute to the euphoria by the populace in Europe. If he were to take part in the negotiations and sign the treaty of their surrender then this just going improve his diplomatic skill.
1220: In the Euphoria of conquering Jerusalem and possibly Egypt, Friedrich is elected to the Holy Roman Emperor and his son is elected to the King of the Romans. This avoids signing "The Confoederatio cum principibus ecclesiasticis” ("Treaty with the princes of the church") and "The Statutum in favorem principum” ("Statute in favour of the princes") in 1220 and consequentially later in 1232.
1221: Returns from a victorious crusade
1221-2: Frederick studies his grandfather and father military campaigns and diplomacy. He derives the following:
- Revises his father’s Erbreichsplan about changing the Holy Roman Empire from an elective to a hereditary monarchy.
- Constructs a plan to gain legitimacy among Italians through his Sicilian perspective. He alters his father’s plan to invade the Byzantine Empire and install a Hohenstaufen prince. Instead, he will invade the Latin empire and crown himself as the ‘Latin Emperor’ through being ‘Latin’.
- Frederick decides to wait 5 years after his crowning, for the allegiance towards the church to peel away before attempting to capture the Pope in a pre-emptive strike.
Pre-emptive strike plan:
- Invade the Papal states through the south via the Kingdom of Sicily
- Use small armies as a distraction to Lombard kingdom, Lombard league and the Margravate of Tuscany. The first army will operate around the Kingdom of Burgundy and Italian imperial border. This is west of the Lombard Kingdom. The second small army will operate in the Margravate of Verona. Its aim is to attack the Lombard league. The aim of this tactic is to stall, only for short time, reinforcements coming to the Pope’s aid.
- Once Rome is besieged and the Pope is caught. The proclaiming of the Kingdom of Rome will give the Emperor the legitimacy as the rightful heir of the Roman Empire. This will further weaken the remaining states’ allegiance to the state of the Church. The remaining states should then be conquered.
- Pope vassalage: the pope will probably not accept vassalage. Therefore the creation of an anti-pope is required. With the conquest of the Papal States, the pope has no armies. The emperor can, therefore, place the anti-pope in the position of the pope. Vassalage between the anti-pope and the emperor has already been ‘pre-arranged’.
- The new pope can then accept the kingdom of Sicily within the Holy Roman Empire.
1223-5: Frederick conquers the Latin Empire and installs himself in Constantinople; he takes the crown Jewels with him to Sicily. Frederick legitimacy among Italians increases as the empire professes to be “Latin” which the Italians speak. Frederick alters the inheritance law to elective and ties the title to the HRE; both titles now come as a pair. The HRE rules all lands north of the Alps, whilst the Latin empire rules all land south of the Alps. He rules both his realms as the first Doppelkaiser. (Double emperor)
1225: marries Queen Isabella II of Jerusalem
1230-33: Pre-emptive strike:
Frederick’s hide’s his army in barren wastelands, hills and mountain passages. Two fleets have also been assembled; ready to block the western and eastern coast to prevent the Pope fleeing.
Frederick invades the Papal States proclaiming that his empirical title the ‘Latin Empire’ gives him claims to all those lands which speak Latin. Lord, ladies, bishops and mayors kneel to the emperor’s proclamation of his claims. Meanwhile, two armies in the west and east of northern Italy are roaming around the Lombard Kingdom and League unchecked. They use hit and run skirmish tactics is disrupt any unguarded settlements.
Frederick strikes his army directly towards the City of Rome without much resistance. Within days the city is under siege. The city is under siege for around half a year, but eventually, the city falls due to dwindling allegiance to Christianity over allegiance to the state and lack of reinforcements. The pope is captured and imprisoned.
Fredericks declares the ‘Kingdom of Rome’ with the ‘Duchy of Latium’ and ‘Spoleto’ held by the King. With Rome besieged, he raises an entirely new army from the kingdom of Rome and rides north with both armies to conquer the remaining foes.