Editing Frederick Barbarossa (section)

===Rise to power===
[[File:Keizer Frederik I Barbarossa penning 1152-1190 geslagen Nijmegen.jpg|thumb|left|260px|[[Penny]] or denier with Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, struck in [[Nijmegen]]]]
Eager to restore the Empire to the position it had occupied under [[Charlemagne]] and [[Otto I the Great]], the new king saw clearly that the restoration of order in Germany was a necessary preliminary to the enforcement of the imperial rights in Italy. Issuing a general order for peace,<ref name="harvp|Chisholm|1911|p=45">{{harvp|Chisholm|1911|p=45}}</ref> he made lavish concessions to the nobles.<ref>{{harvp|Comyn|1851|p=202}}</ref> Abroad, Frederick intervened in the Danish civil war between [[Svend III of Denmark|Svend III]] and [[Valdemar I of Denmark]]<ref>{{harvp|Comyn|1851|p=201}}</ref> and began negotiations with the Eastern Roman Emperor, [[Manuel I Comnenus]].<ref name="Comyn, pg. 230">{{harvp|Comyn|1851|p=230}}</ref> It was probably about this time that the king obtained papal assent for the annulment of his childless marriage with [[Adelheid of Vohburg]], on the grounds of [[consanguinity]] (his great-great-grandfather was a brother of Adela's great-great-great-grandmother, making them fourth cousins, once removed). He then made a vain attempt to obtain a bride from the court of [[Constantinople]]. On his accession, Frederick had communicated the news of his election to [[Pope Eugene III]], but had neglected to ask for papal confirmation. In March 1153, Frederick concluded the [[Treaty of Constance (1153)|Treaty of Constance]] with the Pope, wherein he promised, in return for his coronation, to defend the papacy, to make no peace with king [[Roger II of Sicily]] or other enemies of the Church without the consent of Eugene,<ref name="harvp|Chisholm|1911|p=45"/> and to help Eugene regain control of the city of Rome.<ref>{{harvp|Falco|1964|pp=218 et seq.}}</ref>