To: Tom Clarke who wrote (4055 ) 9/20/2001 11:40:13 AM From: GUSTAVE JAEGER Respond to The naval battle of Lepanto in 1571?! C'mon Charley, you've OVERSHOT the relevant landmark --and you know it! Roll the film back to 1204 --the Fourth Crusade :newadvent.org [Prez Bush] himself took the cross as well as several other Venetian nobles. In consequence of circumstances not yet clearly explained [attacks on the Pentagon and WTC] , the crusade, originally directed against Egypt [Afghanistan] , was turned first against Zara and then against Constantinople [Brussels] . Streit (Venedig und die Wendung des vierten Kreuzzuges, 1877 ) attributes to Enrico Dandolo the principal role in the intrigues which preceded these events. Riant (Revue des questions historiques, XXIII, 109 ) has pointed out very truly that the initiative of the doge was strictly limited by the Constitution of Venice. If Dandolo directed the negotiations he did it in agreement with the councils of Venice. With this reservation it may be admitted that Dandolo took the leading part in the negotiations which ended in the capture of Constantinople. In fact it was to the interest of Venice to re-establish order and security in the Byzantine Empire [Europe] . Dandolo proposed the expedition against Zara (October, 1212) to the crusaders, as a way to pay off their debt to Venice. In the council of war held after the capture of Zara, according to the testimony of Robert de Clare, Dandolo was the first to suggest that the preliminary occupation of Greece would greatly facilitate the conquest of the Holy Land. Thereafter, during the entire expedition, his influence over the leaders of the Crusade grew from day to day. He presided at the council of war held in the Abbey of San Stefano, 23 June, 1203, and gave the wisest advice to the barons. In spite of his age he took an active part in the operations of the siege of Constantinople. While the barons attacked the walls in the Blachernae quarter, Dandolo directed the assault of the Venetians against the sea walls and hoisted the gonfalon of St. Mark on his galley. The city captured, he wished to force Alexis IV to keep the promises made to the crusaders. Upon his refusal, Dandolo boldly defied him and advised the barons to undertake a second siege of the city. In the council of war, 1 May, 1204, Dandolo signed with them the treaty partitioning the empire between Venice and the crusaders. [Dubya?] , and he settled in Constantinople. In 1205 he took part in the disastrous expedition against the Bulgarians; he died shortly afterwards and was buried in St. Sophia. Dandolo by his skill and energy established the political and commercial power of Venice in the Orient.
