Alexius IV

(Alexius Angelus), d. 1204, Byzantine emperor (1203–4), son of Isaac IIIsaac II
(Isaac Angelus) , d. 1204, Byzantine emperor (1185–95, 1203–4). The great-grandson of Alexius I, he was proclaimed emperor by the mob that had killed the unpopular Andronicus I.
..... Click the link for more information. . When his father was deposed, Alexius fled to Italy and then went to Germany. Encouraged by his brother-in-law, Philip of Swabia, he obtained (1202) from the leaders of the Fourth Crusade (see CrusadesCrusades
, series of wars undertaken by European Christians between the 11th and 14th cent. to recover the Holy Land from the Muslims. First Crusade
Origins

In the 7th cent., Jerusalem was taken by the caliph Umar.
..... Click the link for more information. ) the promise of help in deposing his uncle, Alexius III. Made joint emperor with Isaac II after the Crusaders entered Constantinople, he was overthrown for his subservience to his allies and was strangled by order of Alexius V.

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The author's aim is to 'tell the remarkable story of the Fourth Crusade--an episode coloured by brutality and determination; depravity and avarice, political intrigue and religious zeal' and to explain 'why the crusade followed the course it did' by looking at underlying causes which included frequent conflict between Western Europe and the Byzantine Empire, lack of money (which the sack of Constantinople could provide) or the murder of the Emperor, Alexius IV.

The Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople

When Alexius IV started pressurising his people for the money he owed the crusaders, they began to turn against him; equally, the westerners were increasingly angry at the Emperor's failure to fulfil his side of the bargain.

Until the murder of Alexius IV their hopes might have been realised, but after this they were trapped, Ironically, in the long run, the need to support the new Latin Empire of Constantinople against Byzantine counter-attacks proved a drain on the crusading resources of the West, and by 1261 Constantinople was again in Greek hands.

The Fourth Crusade and the sack of Constantinople: Jonathan Phillips sees one of the most notorious events in European history as a typical 'clash of cultures'

There is the ill-fated popinjay, Alexius, Greek claimant to the Byzantine throne, who promised more than he could deliver, as events demonstrated after he was raised to the purple as Alexius IV.

An Ungodly War: the Sack of Constantinople and the Fourth Crusade

Or were some of the peripheral players, such as Alexius IV or Philip of Swabia, responsible?