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Pope Innocent III excommunicates Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV

Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218. Otto spent most of his early life in England and France.

Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218.

Otto spent most of his early life in England and France. He was a follower of his uncle Richard the Lionheart, who made him Count of Poitou in 1196. With Richard's support, he was elected King of Germany by one faction in a disputed election in 1198, sparking ten years of civil war. The death of his rival, Philip of Swabia, in 1208 left him sole king of Germany.

In 1209, Otto marched to Italy to be crowned emperor by Pope Innocent III. In 1210, he sought to unite the Kingdom of Sicily with the Empire, breaking with Innocent, who excommunicated him. He allied with England against France and participated in the alliance's defeat at Bouvines in 1214.

Historical Significance

Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218.

Events Before

  1. King John of England grants small town of Liverpool a charter (right to elect a mayor and aldermen)

    King John of England grants small town of Liverpool a charter (right to elect a mayor and aldermen)

  2. Henry III is born

    Henry III is born

  3. Peace treaty between the Chinese Jin and Song dynasties, the Song resume paying tribute after two years of fighting

    Peace treaty between the Chinese Jin and Song dynasties, the Song resume paying tribute after two years of fighting

  4. Otto IV, nephew of Richard the Lionheart of England, is elected Holy Roman Emperor at Frankfurt

    Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218. Otto spent most of his early life in England and France.

  5. Pope Innocent III crowns King of the Romans, Otto IV, as Holy Roman Emperor at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome

    Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218. Otto spent most of his early life in England and France.

Events After

  1. The Santiago de Compostela Cathedral to St James is consecrated before King Alfonso IX of Leon (begun 1075) [1]

    The Santiago de Compostela Cathedral to St James is consecrated before King Alfonso IX of Leon (begun 1075) [1]

  2. Frederick II, later Holy Roman Emperor, is crowned King of Germany in Mainz

    The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (Latin: Imperator Romanorum; German: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor...

  3. French and Spanish crusaders unite against the Almohaden at Toledo

    French and Spanish crusaders unite against the Almohaden at Toledo

  4. The most severe of several early fires of London burns in Southwark, south of London Bridge

    The most severe of several early fires of London burns in Southwark, south of London Bridge

  5. Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa [Battle of Al-Uqab]: combined Christian army defeats Almohad Muslim force in a turning poi

    Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa [Battle of Al-Uqab]: combined Christian army defeats Almohad Muslim force in a turning point for Muslim power on Iberian peninsula

More from the 1210s

Peking [Beijing], then a city of over one million, under the control of Jurchen ruler Emperor Xuanzong of Jin, is captur

Peking [Beijing], then a city of over one million, under the control of Jurchen ruler Emperor Xuanzong of Jin, is captured and looted for a month by the Mongols under Genghis Khan

King John of England signs the Magna Carta at Runnymede near Windsor in Surrey, limiting royal authority and establishin

King John of England signs the Magna Carta at Runnymede near Windsor in Surrey, limiting royal authority and establishing the principle that the king and his government are not above the law

According to legend, Dannebrog, the flag of Denmark and the oldest national flag in the world falls from the sky during

According to legend, Dannebrog, the flag of Denmark and the oldest national flag in the world falls from the sky during the Battle of Lyndanisse (now Tallinn) in Estonia and turns the Danes' luck

Frederick II, later Holy Roman Emperor, is crowned King of Germany in Mainz

The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (Latin: Imperator Romanorum; German: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor...

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on November 18, 1210?
Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218. Otto spent most of his early life in England and France. He was a follower of his uncle Richard the Lionheart, who made him Count of Poitou in 1196.
Why is Pope Innocent III excommunicates Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV significant?
Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218.

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November 18 in HistoryYear 1210