Frederick II, Warrior King

Warrior Poet

If you are familiar with John Lovell then you are familiar with the term "Warrior Poet". It is the embodiment of three characteristics many of us to whom it comes naturally, for others it is what would should strive for and put into practice.

While we can all understand what it means to be a Warrior on its own, what is it when we add the Poet. Fundamentally it's the combination of the kinetic field craft in combination with two things: Our philosophical reasoning. The why do we do this particular thing, and how did we arrive at this decision. And our loving authority, for whom are we enacting this decision for.

Today it is easy to sum those up at a surface level, "To protect those I care about I must train, and provide good outcomes to influence my leadership."

However through out history, anywhere outside your immediate home this can conflate really fast when we talk about society, politics and war. The further you go back in history this becomes ever prevalent, and today we go back to 1230-1250 to Frederick II The Holy Roman Emperor

A Bit of History

At the end of the 12th century, the Kingdom of Sicily and southern Italy transitioned from the Norman Hauteville family to the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI of the Hohenstaufen dynasty through marriage. Henry sought to exploit Sicily for its wealth, taking advantage of its lack of resistance. However, he died in 1197 AD, leaving the crown to his infant son, Frederick II. Frederick was too young to rule, so Pope Innocent III assumed control. Unfortunately, the Pope allowed Sicily to descend into lawlessness and ethnic conflict, as he was more concerned with the interests of local German barons and was generally uninterested in governing the kingdom.

Despite everything, Frederick maintained his nobility and continued the traditions of the Norman kings who preceded him. His character developed a love for science, philosophy, and falconry (badass!). Frederick had a deep empathy for Germany, which at the time was embroiled in civil wars, and he saw it as his duty to bear the burden.

The Holy Roman Empire was divided over who should lead, with Frederick initially losing the competition to Otto, who had appealed to the Papacy and made concessions. However, this was later reversed by Frederick's successful invasion of Italy, solidifying his position as the new Emperor.

Crusader for Hire

During Frederick’s invasion and conquest of Italy, he surrounded the Pope from both the north and south—a definitive victory. Yet, Frederick wasn’t enthusiastic about his conquest and newly adopted roles, especially being Emperor. He was more concerned with restoring order in Sicily, as a successor to his father's failures.

Frederick reasserted royal authority by curbing the nobility's power, ending the Genoese trading monopoly, and restructuring the kingdom to reduce internal violence. He established mediation and universal protection for Jews and the rebellious Arab population.

In 1225 AD, Frederick embarked on a new crusade, during which he fell ill. Frederick remained behind, commanding his army from the rear before returning to Italy. The Pope saw this as a breach of agreement as Emperor and excommunicated Frederick. However, Frederick was offered clemency if he surrendered Sicily, but he remained unmoved by the Pope’s demands.

A Rebellion

Undeterred by excommunication, Frederick was determined to reclaim the Holy Land (Jerusalem). He successfully retook the city through diplomatic means, negotiating with the Sultan of the Ayyubid Empire in exchange for a 10-year truce and helping the Sultan resolve internal conflicts.

The local Christian populace and Pope Gregory IX were furious that the excommunicated Frederick had regained control of Jerusalem and launched a campaign of failed attempts to reclaim it. With his efforts now freed, Frederick was once again able to use his diplomatic skills to address his son King Henry of Germany's internal issues, establish local authorities, and rein in rebel territories in Northern Italy.

This peace was short-lived as conflict with the Papacy and the Mongols continued for another 20 years until about 1241, when a besieged Pope Gregory died.

A Resolution

Frederick, known as the "Wonder of the World," spent his remaining years battling the Papacy. All his territorial gains during the crusades were lost as he retreated to Sicily. Frederick passed away in 1250 AD. Despite all his years of crusading, he left a significant impact on Sicilian culture through the arts, science, and philosophy. Though he was ultimately defeated by the Papacy, he viewed his conflict with them as a mere inconvenience, more focused on fostering culture and pursuing his passion for falconry.