Which Baltic crusade targeted pagan Livonians and began in 1198?

Which Baltic crusade targeted pagan Livonians and began in 1198? The Livonian Crusade targeted pagan Livonians and began in 1198.

The Livonian Crusade was a series of papally sanctioned campaigns in medieval Livonia, broadly corresponding to modern Latvia and Estonia. Its stated purpose was the Christianisation of local peoples, including Livonians, Latgalians, Estonians, and other Baltic and Finnic groups. German crusaders and clergy played a leading role, alongside Danish and Swedish forces in later campaigns.

The immediate military phase began in 1198, when Bishop Berthold of Hanover arrived with crusaders and was killed in battle. Pope Innocent III subsequently called for a renewed campaign. Bishop Albert of Riga arrived in 1200, established Riga as a major base, and founded the Livonian Brothers of the Sword in 1202.

The name can be confused with the broader Northern Crusades, of which it was part, or with the Prussian Crusade farther south. The Livonian Crusade eventually helped create Terra Mariana and brought much of present-day Latvia and Estonia under Christian and German or Danish rule.