Board Thread:News and Announcements/@comment-24398225-20150505142828/@comment-7700555-20150506190622

Doesn't matter really, the pope still acted against the Hohenstaufens, even when one was king but not emperor. See Conrad II for example.

France was fairly successful either war. The war in 1214 wasn't a war for Aquitaine necessarily. In 1200 France repelled an English invasion via Normandy to gain Normandy, Anjou, and Maine. In the lowlands the war against England was less decisive until Bouvines, but nevertheless allowed to conquer Flanders.

Otto didn't distract the French much, considering the French decisively defeated both Otto and England at the same time, and to gain a lot of territory at that. And why did France not take Aquitaine? In addition to already taking an amount of territory much larger than Aquitaine, France was too busy invading England itself.

Not only was Otto a minor deterrent to the French, especially considering that by Bouvines he had already lost widespread support in Germany and financial aid from England, but his hypothetical lack of involvement does little to change the amount of territory France receives. Even with Otto the French still won, and still acquired a lot of territory. Plus even if France somehow did annex the rest, doesn't change much in the end.