The Cathar Crusade: Part III-The Rise of Simon de Montfort

The Cathar Crusade, a crusade against non-violent followers of a different form of Christianity, lasted from 1209 to 1229, and resulted in the conquest of the Toulouse region by the French king, the establishment of papal domination over the Christian church in Europe and the creation of the Papal Inquisition, basically the first secret police. Part III examines the efforts of Simon de Montfort, newly appointed Vicsount of Beziers, to strengthen his control of the Languedoc and the attempt by Count Raymond of Toulouse to end his sentence of excommunication.

Cast of Characters:

Simon de Montfort-earl of Leicester, viscount of Trencavel, leader of the crusade 
Raymond VI-Count of Toulouse
Raymond-Roger-Count of Foix
Arnaud Amaury-Cistercian abbot, papal legate
Fulk-Bishop of Toulouse, member of the Cistercian Order
Innocent III-Pope
Pedro II-king of Aragon, count of Barcelona

Sources:
Kill Them All: Cathars and Carnage in the Albigensian Crusade-Sean McGlynn
Innocent III: Leader of Europe 1198-1216-Jane Sayers
Pope Innocent III and His Times-Joseph Clayton
The Popes: A History-John Julius Norwich
The Occitan War: A Military and Political History of the Albigensian Crusade, 1209-1218-Laurence W. Marvin
A Most Holy War: The Albigensian Crusade and the Battle for Christendom-Mark Gregory Pegg
The Perfect Heresy: The Life and Death of the Cathars-Stephen O'Shea
The Albigensian Crusade-Jonathan Sumption

Image Credit:
Pope Innocent III excommunicating the Albigensians (left). Massacre against the Albigensians by the Crusaders (right). 
By Chroniques de Saint-Denis - http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/ILLUMIN.ASP?Size=mid&IllID=43733, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13305991