1196.  Crusade of German barons to Palestine.

1197.  Death of Henry VI of Germany; his heir is an infant son, Frederick II.

1198.  Contest for the crowns of Germany and Italy between Philip of Swabia, supported by the Ghibellines, and Otho of Brunswick, son of Henry the Lion, aided by the Guelfs.

Florence becomes an independent republic.

Battle of Gisors, France; Richard Coeur de Lion defeats the French; his war-cry, “Dieu et mon droit” later became the motto to the arms of England.

1199.  Richard Coeur de Lion is slain while contesting with one of his French vassals.  John usurps the throne of England to the exclusion of Prince Arthur.  See “PHILIP OF FRANCE WINS THE FRENCH DOMAINS OF THE ENGLISH KINGS,” vi, 86.

A quarrel between Parma and Placentia inflames a general war among the cities of Lombardy.

1200.  King John and Philip Augustus, the latter forsaking Arthur’s cause, come to terms.

Pope Innocent III compels Philip Augustus to take back his queen, whom he had divorced.

1201.  Fourth Crusade undertaken by Baldwin of Flanders, Simon de Montfort, and Boniface of Montserrat; treaty of the nobles of France and Flanders with Venice.

Chartering of the University of Paris, by Philip.

1202.  Venice secures the help of the crusaders by agreeing to transport them to Palestine, in place of a part of the payment, in the conquest of the city of Zara, then in rebellion.

Prince Arthur made prisoner by his uncle, King John, who murders him.  See “PHILIP OF FRANCE WINS THE FRENCH DOMAINS OF THE ENGLISH KINGS,” vi, 86.

1203.  Constantinople attacked and taken by the Venetians and crusaders, who restore the emperor Isaac Angelus.

A great Mongol empire raised by Ghengis Khan.  See “FOUNDING OF THE MONGOL EMPIRE BY GHENGIS KHAN,” vi, 103.

1204.  Constantinople in revolt.  See “VENETIANS AND CRUSADERS TAKE CONSTANTINOPLE,” vi, 121.

Loss of Normandy and other French possessions by King John of England.  See “PHILIP OF FRANCE WINS THE FRENCH DOMAINS OF THE ENGLISH KINGS,” vi, 86.

Foundation of the Latin Empire of the East.  See “LATIN EMPIRE OF THE EAST,” vi, 140.

1205.  Boniface sells Crete to the Venetians.

1206.  Henry of Flanders elected emperor of Constantinople; he vainly attempts to remedy the civil and ecclesiastical confusion in his dominions.

Theodore Lascaris, son-in-law of Alexius III, establishes the Greek empire of Nicaea.

1207.  Stephen Langton consecrated archbishop of Canterbury by Innocent III; resistance of King John.  See “INNOCENT III EXALTS THE PAPAL POWER,” vi, 156.

1208.  Tuscany ceases to be a separate state, except the republic of Florence.

A crusade against the Albigenses is proclaimed by Innocent III.

An interdict laid on England as King John persists in rejecting Stephen Langton.  See “INNOCENT III EXALTS THE PAPAL POWER,” vi, 156.