Crusade of 1197

Also known as German Crusade, Crusade of Henry VI

The German expedition launched after the Third Crusade, cut short by Emperor Henry VI's death but still responsible for major gains on the Levantine coast.

The Crusade of 1197 was the German follow-up to the Third Crusade, organised under Emperor Henry VI after his father Frederick Barbarossa's expedition had largely dissolved in Anatolia. Henry died before he could lead it personally, but German nobles and clergy still reached the Holy Land.

The crusaders strengthened the northern kingdom and helped capture Beirut and Sidon, giving the Franks a more continuous coastal line between Acre and the County of Tripoli. The expedition also boosted the Teutonic Order, whose future in the Latin East was tied closely to German patronage.

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