Ralph-Johannes Lilie

The interplay between the Crusading States and Byzantium was complex. The Chroniclers of both parties had simplistic ideas about the obligations on both sides, and were often quite lacking in the motives and aims of the other parties to the implied but seldom clarified alliance. In fact they often came to blows, and on at least one occasion, tried to conquer each other. At last, of course, the Westerners triumphed, and the Byzantine cultural area suffered blows that were ultimately fatal to show more continued independence. The final beneficiary was the Ottoman Empire, but this book ends before the ultimate catastrophe.
In fact, the book really only records and analyzes events up to 1180 CE rather than the 1204 of the title. But Lilie is a careful man, and wisely operates in the limitations of his records. There is not extensive coverage of the Islamic component of what is a square dance. The third and fourth players here are the the Italian and Germanic concerns of the Byzantines, and the actions of the Armenian states, who are seldom given this much prominence. 1180 is realy the terminal year here, for at that time, the Bzantines were in the hands of a nationalist, who had offended the Western powers, and thus the Crusaders, the Kingdom of Jerusalem was suffering from the lack of control by Baldwin the Leper king, and the islamic forces had finally been centralized under the hand of the able Salah-ad-Din. Under such circumstances the Byzantines tacitly withdrew their failing support from the Crusaders and transferred to an alliance with the Islamic power.
Until that point Mr. Lilie is a strict constructionist, who believes that the oaths given to Alexis of Byzantium on their way to the Holy Land were often honoured. The Byzantines had given aid and even military assistance to the Crusaders and they in return could often be found carrying out actions for the welfare of the Byzantines.
While the book is a translation from German, the efforts of J.C. Morris and Jean E. Ridings often result in competent English prose. I found this a book well worth reading.
The German version was published in 1988. show less

A history of the crusades from the Byzantine point of view, up to the events of 1204. A very good and very readable academic overview, that brings together the Byzantine policy towards the Crusader states with what was happening in Italy and the Balkan. The author tries explain the motivations of all the parties, without blaming one or the other. Recommended.

Für grundsätzliche Infos zur Geschichte, Politik und Militär gut, für Kultur, Kunst und Gesellschaft von Byzanz schlecht.