why did innocent call the fourth crusade

not called in response to any particular crisis 

ambitious pope, series of opportunities that he saw in the east

both the third and the german crusade had fialed to take jerusalem, access for pilgrims wasnt enough for him 

cryprus had been siezed and the coastline retaken 

saladin died in 1193, muslim world world no longer held the fiercest leader they had ever had 

his brother had neither the authority or the power that saladin had done 

less comitted to the centrality of jerusalem 

previous popes had been old and imited in their ambitions and had wanted to consolidate power rather than extend it 

he had determination to revitalise the office of the pope 

the german crusade only had limited success, he wanted to position himself at the front of a new official crusade 

rich and phil were still warring against eachother, he tried to bring peace between them with a truce, by doing this bring a measure of peace to christendom, redirect the violence. 

supreme leader of europe 

he set up a new adminstrative body to set up crusades 

radical reforms 

he had studied theology, renowned thinker 

published various theological works on the human condition 

obsessed with the recapture of the holy land 

'oh jerusalem if i ever forget you' 

Post Miserabile 

loss of the true cross, passion for the spiritual recovery of a successful crusade would bring

forbidding of attakcs on christian cities of Zara and Constantinople show his concern for a defender of christianity