BARBAROSSA THE MAN, More Insight Options

[Hellfighter]

Barbarossa is Italian for 'redbeard' [No, Barbarossa wasn't a pirate or viking ]. Frederick, Duke of Swabia was elected German King and Holy Roman Emperor in 1152. He was better known by his nickname, Frederick Barbarossa.
At that time Frederick wanted to unite the German States and restore Imperial power especially as the Holy Roman Empire was in some turmoil. After some political wrangling with the Pope in Rome, Frederick eventually was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian lV in Rome, 1155. During the coronation there was a riot that claimed 1000 lives.
Frederick was excommunicated in 1160, by Pope Alexander lll after Adrian died, or his support of the anti-Pope Victor Vl. Frederick gathered an army in 1158 and invaded northern Italy and captured Rome in 1167. After a break in the war, several Italian city states [having formed themselves up in an alliance called the 'Lombardy League'] counter attacked Frederick and beat him at Legnano in 1176. Frederick conceded to the Alexander lll, in 1177 and had to kiss his feet as an act of contrition, and in 1183, Frederick made peace with the league. He died in 1189 just before setting out in the Third Crusade into the Holy Land.
The German invasion of Russia was codenamed Operation Barbarossa in his honour.
So now you know


This post has been edited by Hellfighter: 02/02/06 5:58pm