Crusade of 1197

The Crusade of 1197 (also known as the Crusade of Henry VI or the German Crusade of 1197 German: Deutscher Kreuzzug) was a crusade launched by the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI in response to the partway victory of Frederick I Barbarossa's crusade in 1190, and thus is also known as the "Emperor's Crusade." The Crusade ended abruptly, after the fall of Sidon and Beirut. Henry VI died of a fever in Messina in October 1197, with many higher-ranking nobles returning to Germany to protect their interests in the next imperial election. The remaining nobles in the Crusade captured Sidon and Beirut before returning to Germany.