ABSTRACT
Frederick I expanded the territory of the Holy Roman Empire and became one of its greatest rulers. Although frequently at odds with the Pope, he proved his devotion to the Church by leading a fatal Crusade to the Holy Land. Nicknamed “Barbarossa” for his red beard, Frederick I was born to the Hohenstaufen duke of Swabia about 1123. Frederick's ambitions to be elected Holy Roman Emperor were initially challenged by the Welf duke Henry the Lion of Saxony, but in 1155 he was able to obtain Pope Hadrian IV's blessing and was crowned in Rome. In 1189, Frederick decided to go on a Crusade. By joining forces with Philip Augustus of France and RICHARD I of England, he hoped to serve the Church and demonstrate the empire's leadership in European diplomacy. Although Frederick I left an enlarged Holy Roman Empire to his successors, it was one that lacked integration.
