Humbert I von Tyrol
Lived: 1124-1178
Count of Osterreich: 1145-1170
Duke of Tyrol: 1159-1178
Count of Tyrol: 1159-1178
Kaiser of Holy Roman Emperor: 1170-1178
King of Italy: 1173-1178
Humbert I von Tyrol is the greatest von Tyrol of the 11th and 12th century. He was an ambitious man who took his family to new heights of power that would eventually crumble following his death. Nevertheless, he showed his family what they could accomplish.
Besides when Albrecht I was named Duke of Tyrol in 1075, Humbert I was the only other von Tyrol who rose to the position as an adult. Humbert came to power in Tyrol following Count Dietmar von Tyrol's death in 1143. With his death Humbert found himself General of the Tyrol forces where he assisted his father in the capture of Poland in 1144-46. During this campaign he was awarded the County of Osterreich. He would later capture the County of Vegl from the Doge of Venice in 1151-52.
Seven years later and Humbert was informed by Count Otto von Tyrol of Innsbruck that his mother had passed away. She had named him her successor to the Duchy of Tyrol, but his youngest brother, Lajos, was given the County of Vegl. Only the middle brother, Ludwig, did not receive anything. Their mother was still angry with him for not marrying the future Queen of France. He wanted sons of his own who would inherit the family name. Just like she had wanted when searching for her own husband.
Unlike the previous Duke and Duchesses of Tyrol, Humbert did not expand his territory through conquest of his neighbors. Instead he found allies by way of politics and marriages. With three children all coming of age, he found them good partners. His eldest, Reinaud, was a great warrior who many compared to his great grandfather, Albrecht II. Like Albrecht II, Reinaud lived a short life. Dying at the young age of only twenty-one years, Reinaud left behind no children. Meaning his younger brother, Boudewijn, became the new heir to the Duchy of Tyrol. Boudewijn did not have the warrior spirit of the von Tyrols. Even the sight of blood made the boy turn pale. In the eyes of Humbert I, Boudewijn was a true disappointment. Humbert still found the child a good wife from the Duchy of Upper Burgundy.
Mid-Jue 1170, Humbert was summoned to the County of Jilech for a meeting of the electors. Their Kaiser, Bernhard I Salian, who had led them for 37 years had passed away. It was time to choose the new Emperor to lead them. For the past 146 years the men of House Salian had led the Empire. In this election there were four men all in contention to see themselves made the new Emperor. King Hesso I Wigeriche of Lotharingia, the Kaiser's two sons, Bernhard and Wigerich, and lastly Duke Humbert I name was also put forward.
King Hesso only received a single vote by himself. Not surprisingly since he had led three rebellions in the past decade against Kaiser Bernhard I's rule. In the end it was Duke Humbert who was named Kaiser. Thanks to a mixture of his friends and allies he made as well as the split vote of the Salian supporters between two possible candidates. That and there was the fact that Humbert himself and married Kaiser Bernhard's eldest daughter which gave him a few of the Salian votes as well.
His first act was to name Boudweijn the Count of Osterreich in order to judge if he deserved to be named the Duke of Tyrol following his death. Four days later, he led the Empire's Southern Army into northern Italy to recapture some of the land. By August of 1170 the Empire was taking part in two additional wars. Kaiser Humbert's father needed assistance in capturing Greater Poland which he sent the Eastern Army under the Duke of Carinthia to assist with. At the same time his son-in-law, King Antso VI of Navarra, needed help against the Muslims' of eastern Iberia. He sent the Western Army of the Empire under the Duke of Brunswick to help here. Each of these wars ended in victory thanks to the might of the Empire's armies by October of 1171. Shockingly it was the minor county in northern Italy that held out the longest. Thanks to aid from the Dog of Venice, long time rival of the Holy Roman Empire.
Looking to further his family's position, Humbert named himself King of Italy in 1173. At this time the Holy Roman Empire controlled most of northern Italy, the southern half was split between the Byzantine Empire and the King of Sicily, and the western border belonged to the Doge of Pisa and his brother the Doge of Genoa, and of course the Pope.
The final years of Humbert's time as Kaiser was much like his beginning years, spent in battle. In 1173 he moved against the Doge of Pisa taking the lands of Genoa for himself. Then in 1174-75, he marched north capturing the County of Mecklenburg from the revolting Count before the Pomeranian King could put him down. The last war was from 1176-77 against the King of Pomerania for the entirety of the Mecklenburg duchy.
The war was going in the Kaiser's favor. That is up until the final battle where Humbert took a hard blow to his head. The war would still be won, but the Kaiser would be bedridden for the rest of his days. Where his mother lost control of her body, Humbert lost control of his mind. Then on April 11, 1178, the Kaiser passed away. His only living son, Boudewijn von Tyrol was named his successor as both Kaiser and King of Italy. The only question was if Boudewijn would achieve anything. Humbert at least saw very little in his son.