Editing Fourth Crusade (section)

=== Reign of Alexios IV ===
[[File:PriseDeConstantinople1204PalmaLeJeune.JPG|thumb|upright=1.15|Capture of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade in 1204]]
Alexios IV realised that his promises were hard to keep. Alexios III had managed to flee with 1,000&nbsp;pounds of gold and some priceless jewels, leaving the imperial treasury short on funds. At that point the young emperor ordered the destruction and melting of valuable Roman icons in order to extract their gold and silver, but even then he could only raise 100,000 silver marks. In the eyes of all Greeks who knew of this decision, it was a shocking sign of desperation and weak leadership, which deserved to be punished by God. The Byzantine historian [[Nicetas Choniates]] characterized it as "the turning point towards the decline of the Roman state".{{sfn|Phillips|2004|pp=221–257}}

Forcing the populace to destroy their icons at the behest of an army of foreign schismatics did not endear Alexios IV to the citizens of Constantinople. In fear of his life, the co-emperor asked the crusaders to renew their contract for another six months, to end by April 1204. Alexios IV then led 6,000 men from the Crusader army against his rival Alexios III in Adrianople.{{sfn|Phillips|2004|p=209}} During the co-emperor's absence in August, rioting broke out in the city and a number of Latin residents were killed. In retaliation armed Venetians and other crusaders entered the city from the Golden Horn and attacked a [[mosque]] (Constantinople at this time had a sizable Muslim population), which was defended by Muslim and Byzantine Greek residents {{citation needed|date=February 2018}}. In order to cover their retreat the Westerners instigated the "Great Fire", which burnt from 19 to 21 August, destroying a large part of Constantinople and leaving an estimated 100,000 homeless.

In January 1204, the blinded and incapacitated Isaac II died, probably of natural causes.{{sfn|Phillips|2004|pp=221–257}} Opposition to his son and co-emperor Alexios IV had grown during the preceding months of tension and spasmodic violence in and around Constantinople. The [[Byzantine Senate]] elected a young noble [[Nicolas Canabus]] as emperor, in what was to be one of the last known acts of this ancient institution. However he declined the appointment and sought church sanctuary.<ref>''Chambers's Encyclopaedia'', vol. II, London, 1868, p. 471</ref>

A nobleman [[Alexios Doukas]] (nicknamed Mourtzouphlos) became the leader of the anti-crusader faction within the Byzantine leadership. While holding the court rank of ''protovestilarios'', Doukas had led Byzantine forces during the initial clashes with the crusaders, winning respect from both military and populace. He was accordingly well-placed to move against the increasingly isolated Alexios IV, whom he overthrew, imprisoned, and had strangled in early February. Doukas then was crowned as Emperor Alexios V Doukas Mourtzouphlos. He immediately moved to have the city fortifications strengthened and summoned additional forces to the city.{{sfn|Nicolle|2011|pp=25, 65}}