45^ Outlines of European History kept deferring the expedition, in spite of the papal admoni- tions, until at last the Pope lost patience and excommunicated him. While excommunicated, he at last started for the East. He met with signal success and actually brought Jerusalem, the Holy City, once more into Christian hands, and was himself recognized as king of Jerusalem. Extinction of Frederick's conduct continued, however, to give offense to staufens' • the popes. He was denounced in solemn councils, and at last power deposed by one of the popes. After Frederick died (1250) his sons maintained themselves for a few years in the Sicilian kingdom ; but they finally gave way before a French army, led by the brother of St. Louis, Charles of Anjou, upon whom the Pope bestowed the southern realms of the Hohenstaufens.^ Frederick's With Frederick's death the medieval Empire may be said the close of to have come to an end. It is true that after a period of " fist Em^rf '^^^ law," as the Germans call it, a new king, Rudolf of Hapsburg, was elected in Germany in 1273. The German kings continued to call themselves emperors. Few of them, however, took the trouble to go to Rome to be crowned by the Pope. No serious effort was ever made to reconquer the Italian territory for which Otto the Great, Frederick Barbarossa, and his son and grandson had made such serious sacrifices. Germany was hope- lessly divided and its king was no real king. He had no capital and no well-organized government. Division of By the middle of the thirteenth century it becomes apparent Italy into ^^ that neither Germany nor Italy was to be converted into a pTndent^^' Strong single kingdom like England and France. The map of states Germany shows a confused group of duchies, counties, arch- bishoprics, bishoprics, abbacies, and free towns, each one of which asserted its practical independence of the weak king and Emperor. In northern Italy each town, including a certain district about its walls, had become an independent state, dealing with its 1 An excellent account of Frederick's life is given by Henderson, Germany in the Middle Ages^ pp. 34^397.
