Siege of Zara

The Siege of Zadar (Italian Zara ) by the Crusaders in 1202 was the beginning of the Fourth Crusade, which ended in the conquest of Constantinople. This Catholic Crusaders were first used for the conquest and looting of a Catholic city.

Background

The Dalmatian city of Zadar was in the Middle Ages, the prominent urban center on the east coast of the Adriatic. It is therefore not surprising that it has been repeated a bone of contention between Venice and the Hungarian- Croatian kings in the 12th and 13th centuries. Although a long time in Byzantine hands, Zadar was exposed Croatian influence due to its location since the beginning of the Middle Ages. In the 12th century, the city population consisted mostly of Croats, as finally Pope Alexander III. could find during a visit in 1177. Koloman, king of Hungary, Dalmatia and Croatia in 1105 was able to gain control of Zadar. Already in 1116 they again came under Venetian rule, but 1181 Zadar assumed voluntarily surrendered to the Hungarian King Béla III. , Who granted the town in return largely autonomy. So the city was allowed about independently choose their bishop.

As for the Fourth Crusade, at which Pope Innocent III. Had called in 1198, only a third of the expected participants homed, pioneered in Venice to a disaster. They had the Crusaders transport and maritime support for the planned conquest of Egypt assured and invested almost all of the economic power counting in the construction of a fleet of over 200 ships. If unsuccessful, a threatened bankruptcy of the Serenissima.

Siege

As the Venetians had fulfilled their part of the bargain, they insisted on the payment of them contractually guaranteed sum of 85,000 silver marks. The Crusaders were not close to being able to raise that amount of money, and a success of the crusade to Egypt was questionable. They found a compromise: the Crusader army was to assist in the capture of Zara, but the debt should be deducted from the prey made ​​there. But an attack on the Christian town contradicted the crusade idea why some of the crusader refused participation and returned to their homeland. Others tried to make their way to Palestine on their own. But the bulk of the Crusaders was convinced by the Venetians. Otherwise you would have had to cancel the entire crusade.

After tough negotiations, agreed to, and in a solemn ceremony also took the Doge Enrico Dandolo the cross. Beginning in October 1202 broke the Crusader army and sailed down the Dalmatian coast. On November 10, 1202 they arrived in front of Zadar, the siege began. Many warriors were horrified by this "degeneration of the Crusade " and did not participate in the fighting around the city. Nevertheless, the city had to capitulate siege after 13 days. Since it was late November and December stood at the door, wintered army and fleet in Zadar / Zara. A few weeks later met a Boniface of Montferrat and joined the army at.

Follow

Many chroniclers saw the conquest of the Catholic Zara by Christian knights as inglorious prelude to the conquest of Constantinople almost two years later. The idea crusade to liberate holy places of pagan crew, had been reversed. After Jerusalem, the official goal of every crusade, or Egypt, the actual goal of this turn, you broke no longer on.

For Zadar took the Venetian rule with break up 1358th According to the 1205 signed submission agreement, the Serenissima now occupied the official offices of the city. Béla IV gave the town from 1242 to 1247 again under his control, but only after the Hungarian- Venetian War 1356-58, the city came under a long-term Croatian-Hungarian rule.