1195 - 1203

A ruler of exceptional weakness, Alexius completely failed to halt the expansion of the Bulgarian empire, and even more importantly made no provision for the defences of Constantinople itself, in the face of the fourth crusade. The crusade, principally the Venetians under their blind but wily and duplicitous doge, Enrico Dandolo, erstwhile allies of Byzantium, captured and sacked Constantinople itself. Alexius fled to Thrace where he failed to organize an effective counter attack.