The Military Orders Volume IV by Judi Upton-Ward

Author:Judi Upton-Ward [Upton-Ward, Judi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780754662877
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Published: 2008-11-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

The Teutonic Knights during the Ibelin—Lombard Conflict*

Nicholas Morton

Historians have generally assumed that during the civil war, 1229–43, between the representatives of Emperor Frederick II and the barons of the Latin East (led by the Ibelin family), the Teutonic Knights were consistent supporters of the emperor. This analysis can be found in many modern surveys of the crusades as well as in specific works on the Ibelin–Lombard war.1 The purpose of this work is to refine this assumption and to suggest instead that the conduct of the Order can be divided into two periods. During the first, between 1229 and 1239, Grand Master Herman von Salza pursued a policy of overt neutrality whilst giving both sides the impression that he sympathized with their cause. In the second, with the advent of a new Grand Master, Conrad of Thüringia in 1239, and later Gerhard von Malberg in 1241, the Teutonic Knights became and remained partisans of the emperor in the Latin East until the end of the struggle.

An essential feature of the first period under discussion is that the Teutonic Knights do not appear to have committed military forces to the Ibelin–Lombard war during the premiership of Herman von salza. The sources contain no reference to the Teutonic Knights’ presence in military activity; this factor is particularly notable because they would have been able to influence the outcome of several battles, including the conflict at Casal Imbert in 1232, which was conducted within five miles of the Order’s headquarters. Coureas has previously mentioned the nonmilitary stance of the Order with reference to warfare on Cyprus, although he still maintains that the Order was a supporter of the emperor.2

Under Grand Master Herman, the main role of the Teutonic Order appears to have been one of intermediary and peacemaker for both parties. The chronicles of Eracles and Sanuto, for example, describe the Ibelins seeking Herman’s advice concerning the peace settlement with the emperor in 1235, before they dispatched him to conduct the relevant negotiations on their behalf.3 It should be noted that the ibelins were not pleased with the compromise that Herman arranged; however, the fact that they employed him as their representative demonstrates their trust in him. Other sources describe Herman acting as an envoy for Frederick II in Western Christendom.4 historians similarly have commented on the role of the Order as mediators during the conflicts of this period, frequently with reference to the war between Gregory iX and the emperor.5 These references suggest that Grand Master herman styled himself as a mediator rather than as a partisan of either party.

Certainly there were advantages to adopting this stance because the Order could preserve its relationship with both the levantine barons and the emperor even though they were at war with each other. This would have been a vital consideration because the Order’s survival was dependent upon both these parties. it was reliant upon the emperor for its development and the security of its lands in Western Christendom, which provided supplies for the Order’s military commitments.

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