Around 1100, the Holy Roman Empire was a loose federation of duchies, bishoprics, and counties, including Saxony, Bavaria, Swabia, Franconia, and ecclesiastical territories such as Mainz and Cologne. The emperor, Henry IV, was embroiled in the Investiture Controversy and unable to lead or coordinate a crusade. Nonetheless, individual nobles from the Empire joined the First Crusade independently. Most notable was Godfrey of Bouillon, Duke of Lower Lorraine, who led a large contingent despite acting outside imperial direction. Other nobles from regions such as Swabia, Lotharingia, and the Rhineland also participated under their own banners, reflecting the decentralised and fractured nature of the Empire at the time.