Empire and Crusades: Thwarted Ambitions

Under Charles IV, foreign policy is not limited to England. The king must come to terms with a powerful papacy at Avignon, a Holy Empire in crisis of legitimacy, and crusade projects that serve as much as an ideological horizon as a political tool.

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⚔️ The Holy Empire: Louis of Bavaria, John XXII, and a French Option

At Charles IV’s accession, two princes claim the Empire: Louis of Bavaria and Frederick the Fair. In 1322, Louis defeats and captures his rival at the Battle of Mühldorf, but John XXII refuses to recognize him and excommunicates him in 1324.

In this context, some consider an alternative champion. The marriage of Charles IV to Marie of Luxembourg (daughter of Emperor Henry VII) strengthens the idea of a French option, but the premature death of Marie in 1324 ends these ambitions.

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✝️ Crusade: Negotiate, Finance, Doubt

The idea of crusade returns in the 1320s. In 1323, Charles charges Charles of Valois with negotiating with John XXII an expedition and a subsidy. The discussions fail: the pope suspects the king of using the money for other purposes.

In 1326, Charles officially takes the cross and contemplates an expedition against the Byzantine Empire, entrusting a fleet to the vicomte of Narbonne. In 1327, envoys from Andronicus II Palaeologue come to Paris to discuss peace and the union of Christendom, but changes in Constantinople and the king’s death interrupt these projects.

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🧠 Key Points to Remember

• The Empire and the papacy create a play of legitimacies where France can weigh in.
• Crusade projects serve also as diplomatic and financial leverage.
• Under Charles IV, several ambitions remain unfinished.