Otto IV of Brunswick, King of Germany (
1208-
1215) and Holy Roman Emperor (from
1209), was elected king when his opponent,
Philip of Swabia (
Hohenstaufen), was murdered. Otto had been supported by
Pope Innocent III, but Innocent withdrew his support after Otto's military adventures in Italy. In 1211 the
Diet of Nuremberg ordered Otto deposed and
Frederick II Hohenstaufen elected in his place, but until Otto lost the
battle of Bouvines (July,
1214) decisively to the forces of
Philip II of France nothing happened. He was deposed in 1215 and died in
1218.
