An daure matashin Alexios a 1195 lokacin da Alexios III ya hambarar da Isaac II a wani juyin mulki.A cikin 1201, wasu 'yan kasuwa biyu na Pisan sun yi aiki don yin jigilar Alexios daga Constantinople zuwa Daular Roma Mai Tsarki, inda ya nemi mafaka tare da surukinsa Philip na Swabia, Sarkin Jamus.A cewar labarin Robert na Clari na zamani, a lokacin da Alexios ya kasance a kotun Swabia ya sadu da Marquis Boniface na Montferrat, dan uwan ​​Philip, wanda aka zaba ya jagoranci Crusade na hudu , amma ya bar Crusade na dan lokaci a lokacin da aka kewaye. Zara a cikin 1202 don ziyarci Philip.Boniface da Alexios sun yi zargin cewa sun tattauna karkatar da Crusade zuwa Constantinople domin a mayar da Alexios kan karagar mahaifinsa.Montferrat ya koma Crusade yayin da ya yi sanyi a Zara kuma ba da daɗewa ba wakilan Yarima Alexios suka bi shi wanda ya ba wa 'yan Salibiyya 10,000 na sojojin Byzantine don taimakawa yaki a cikin Crusade, kula da 500 Knights a cikin Kasa Mai Tsarki, sabis na sojojin ruwa na Byzantine (20). jiragen ruwa) a cikin jigilar sojojin 'yan Salibiyya zuwaMasar , da kuma kuɗin biyan bashin 'yan Salibiyya zuwa Jamhuriyar Venice tare da alamun azurfa 200,000.Ƙari ga haka, ya yi alkawari zai sa Cocin Orthodox na Girka ƙarƙashin ikon Paparoma.