Latin Empire

The Latin Empire refers to a Crusader state founded during the Fourth Crusade on lands conquered from the Byzantines, including its capital at Constantinople. It was intended to replace the Byzantine Empire, and create a Catholic empire to replace the Greek Orthodox Byzantines. The first Latin Emperor used the title "Emperor of the Romans" but his successors used the title "Emperor of Constantinople" This is because the Catholic Church belived that the Roman Empire pased through into the holy roman empire, and the crusaders did not want to upset the Pope.It lasted only from 1204 to 1261, when the Byzantines recaptured Constantinople.