How Did Barbarossa Understand The Problems Of Government

Emperor Frederick 1st approach to problems of government in Germany and how they differ from his measures in Italy.

Emperor Frederick 1st (Barbarossa), was elected to the position of King of Germany at a time when the Kingdom was on the verge of Civil War over rightful inheritance and, the power of the Monarchy had been reduced to little more than that of a Duke or a Count; only holding power over the greatly diminished Crownlands. During his rule, he faced the monumental task of restoring the German Empire to its former glory and re-establishing the power and authority of the Crown once again. Barbarossa would come into conflict over his measures and would face several problems during his attempts to unite the Kingdoms of Germany and Italy
The history of the Germanic Empire directly before Barbarossa's rule was a deeply troubled one, filled with War and Conflict which would lead to the Monarchy's power being diminished to what it was when Barbarossa took over the throne from Conrad the 3rd in 1152. As already stated, Barbarossa ascended the throne at a time when Monarchical power was extremely weak, something which can be attributed in many ways to the Investiture Struggle which had only ended officially in 1122 with the Concordat of Worms. During this strife, which was between the Pope and the Emperor over the Emperors right to appoint Bishops, the German Princes rebelled against the government in 1076 which lead to the undermining of the Crown's authority. With this developed the solely elective nature of the German Crown and paved a move away from the joint elective and hereditary nature of Monarchy in Germany. This in itself was not the downfall of the Crowns power, rather, the need for Henry 4th in 1100 to gift substantial amounts of Crownland to the Princes in order to ensure their loyalty and support, and later the division of the remaining land between Lothar 3rd and Conrad 3rd, again greatly diminishing the land the Crown held to virtually
Barbarossa faced different challenges in Germany as he did in Italy, warranting the use of different approaches to the situations. In Germany he faced a divided country at war with itself, with his House being right in the centre, battling with the next most influential House. His decision to cut his losses as such, by his feudal policy and with legitimising such fiefs as those which had already been taken, not with his permission, nor the permission of any king, but at the insistence of the nobles who claimed them. These newly landed nobles took advantage of the situation during the Investiture Struggle in which anarchy descended within Germany due to the existence on two 'Kings'. Barbarossa's intelligent decision not to re-open this closed wound by claiming back the land and titles that had been unlawfully taken, and instead, by legitimising them, created a peace within Germany and gained him valuable allies within his own Vassals, allies whom he would need for his campaign in Italy to be a