Short History of de Hautevilles
Robert Guiscard, Duke of Apulia from 1057-1074
Robert de Hauteville is a curious fellow. He was 5th son of a minor holder in Normandy. Meaning he had a hard life coming- no inheritance, no power, nothing. Destined to be forgotten in the annals of history. That was not how Robert wanted things to end though. Yes, of course, he was a highway robber and a mercenary. But he ended up as a Duke of Apulia. In 1068, he begun his final war and in one battle, outside Taormina, he destroyed the Muslim forces and captured the Sheikh. The Counties of Palermo and Syracuse fell in just one battle. He also moved his capital to Palermo and since that time, Palermo has been the home of Normans.
Duke Robert and his wife
Bohemond I, Duke of Apulia from 1074-1090, King of Sicily from 1090-1115
Bohemond conquered the rest of Sicily, including the Island of Malta. He did not expand the realm further. Instead, he pacified Sicily, begun the process of Normanizing the province and converted the entire island to Catholic. By the time he died, Sicily was firmly under Norman hands, Palermo had 4 castles and other castles scattered around the island were also in progress of getting upgrades.
Old Bohemond and young Bohemond
Robert, King of Sicily from 1115-1126
Robert begun Norman expansion to South, in the shores of Africa. He attacked and took Tunesia and parts of Tripolitania. He died during the siege of Leptis Magna. Also, he took Genoa and expanded Norman lands to further north.
King Robert
Asclettin the Great, King of Sicily from 1126-1161
Asclettin was first (and lot of people think the greatest) of great rulers of Hautevilles. He raised the Sicily, medium powered Kingdom in Mediterranean, to heights unimagined. From 1332-1338, he fought off attacks of the Shia Caliphate, the strongest nation in that time. Then, he did something totally unexpected- he took the war home to Caliph. From to 1143-1145, he fought against Caliphate in the Holy Land and as a result, Catholics gained first Duchy in Jerusalem. Jerusalem itself was conquered in war lasting from 1156-1157. He also started the first war between Holy Roman Empire and the Normans. He died in battle against the Germans in 1161.
Young Asclettin
The most glorious moment of Asclettin
... And the conquests of Asclettin
Bohemond II, King of Sicily from 1161-1163
Bohemond, son of Asclettin, was a sick man. He ruled for two years and then, died of disease. Still, he managed to win the war against Holy Roman Empire.
Bohemind on his deathbed
Bohemond III, King of Sicily from 1163-1192. Bohemond I, Emperor of the Hauteville Empire from 1192-1193
Bohemond further advanced Norman territories. During his time, Normans advanced further into Italy, took most of the African coast and managed to win more land in Jerusalem. In 1192, after becoming King with four titles, Bohemond declared himself an Emperor of the Hauteville Empire. His conquest were far and wide, but even with creation of Empire and ending of the Muslim threat, most people thought he did not live over the shadow of his grandfather, King Asclettin. Bohemond died at the age of 48, in battle with rebels in Sevilla.
Prince Bohemond, future King Bohemond III and Emperor Bohemond I
Conquests of Bohemond
Bohemond II, Emperor of the Hauteville Empire from 1193-1197
Bohemond II started his rule with great bravado. He finished the conquest of Sevilla, he conquered Cyrenaica and took Lombardy from Holy Roman Empire. In 1194, when Normans landed their troops in Cyrenaica, Bohemond was wounded in battle of Cyrene. He lost his right arm and at the age of 38, he died of that wound, leaving his 15-year old son Turquetil as the Emperor
Emperor Bohemond II
Turquetil I, Emperor of the Hauteville Empire from 1197-1244
Turquetil I was a good ruler, he expanded the realm through conquest quite a lot. But that is not what his is mainly remembered. In 1200, he denounced the Catholic religion and converted to Catharism. That meant that Normans did not have to worry about the Pope anymore, but they were also alone in the world- Muslims, Orthodox and Catholics all hated the Cathars.
Normans were strong enough to outlive all that though and by the time Turquetil had finished, Normans owned most of the Mediterranean area, including the city of Byzantion. Additionally, Turquetil started his gains on Iberia.
The Young Emperor
The Fateful Decision
And the Empire when Bohemond died
Robert Guiscard I, Emperor of the Hauteville Empire from 1244-1245
Son of Turquetil, he became the Count of Byzantion. There, he found a hobby- visiting every whorehouse in the city (and there was plenty). In addition to pleasures, he also found an unwelcome addition. He picked up syphilis and just a year after ruling, he the disease got him. His daughter, Adelise, became the first female ruler of the Empire.
Robert Guiscard did not really live up to the name of his ancestor
Adelise I, Empress of the Hauteville Empire from 1245-1285, Basilissa of the Byzantine Empire 1285, Augusta of the Roman Empire from 1285-1304
After Basileus Ioannikos instituted elective monarchy in Byzantine Empire, he and his son Ignatios died in mysterious accident. As a result, Adelise was crowned as a new Basilissa of the Empire. One month later, she kicked the Pope out of Trapani. Thus, she had enough power to re-create the Roman Empire. After nearly a thousand years, the eagle banner was rising once again in Italy. Normans had reached the point where their power was unmatched.
This is, without doubt, the greatest achievement of Adelise ever
Another great achievement of Adelise was Battle of Kairy. Fought in December 1275, Normans met the grand force of the Golden Horde in battle. First, the Normans destroyed Mongol vanguard, over 40 000 soldiers strong. Then, they engaged Mongol Horde. It was still the biggest battle Normans had ever fought in. 160 000 Normans versus 100 000 Mongols. Mongols were defeated and in the following battles, the Horde was destroyed.
Though this falls pretty close
In addition, Adelise conquered far and wide. She took England, chunks of France, was the first Hauteville ruler to cross the Alps and basically, when she died, Normans were ruling over half of the known world.
And this is Adelise, when she was still young and pretty
And this is Roman Empire when Adelise finally passed away, old and wrinkled
Sayer I, Augustus of the Roman Empire from 1304-1349
Adelise conquered half of the known world. Her grandson Sayer took the other half. Sayer destroyed the Holy Roman Empire and took down both Golden Horde and Ilkhanate. It was a bloody rule, with constant wars and wars on a larger scale then Normans ever fought. Sayer did not hesitate from murder when it was needed and he had ordered death of well over 30 Khagans. By the time Sayer himself was assassinated, the Normans controlled all but five provinces of the known world.
Sayer when he still was a king
Sayer bringing down the most hated enemy of the Normans
... and the map when the crazed conqueror died
Joscelin I, Augustus of the Roman Empire from 1349-?
Joscelin the Ender, as they called him. During his time, Normans conquered the last of the known provinces and by 1350, Normans were the rulers of the entire known world.
Joscelin, the Ender
Joscelin finished the job