Enrico Dandolo
Biography
Enrico Dandolo became the Doge (ruler) of Venice in 1192 when he was already over 80 years old and blind.
A brilliant and ruthless statesman, he prioritized the commercial interests of Venice above all else. When the Fourth Crusaders could not pay Venice for the fleet they had commissioned, Dandolo used the debt as leverage.
He successfully convinced the crusaders to attack the Christian city of Zara, and later, the Byzantine capital of Constantinople. This allowed Venice to eliminate a major commercial rival and seize a massive trading empire in the Eastern Mediterranean.
He died in 1205 and was buried in the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.