Crusades

===The Seventh Crusade===
{{Main|Seventh Crusade}}
[[File:Seventh crusade.jpg|thumb|300px|Louis IX during the Seventh Crusade]]

The [[Seventh Crusade]] (1248–1254) was the first of the two Crusades led by [[Louis IX of France]]. Also known as the Crusade of Louis IX to the Holy Land, its objective was to reclaim the Holy Land by attacking Egypt, the main seat of Muslim power in the Middle East, then under [[as-Salih Ayyub]], son of al-Kamil. The Crusade was conducted in response to setbacks in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, beginning with the loss of the Holy City in 1244, and was preached by [[Pope Innocent IV|Innocent IV]] in conjunction with a crusade against emperor [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]], the [[Prussian Crusade|Prussian crusades]] and Mongol incursions.<ref name=":0">Strayer, Joseph R. (1977). "[http://images.library.wisc.edu/History/EFacs/HistCrus/0001/0002/reference/history.crustwo.i0028.pdf Chapter XIV. The Crusades of Louis IX]". In Wolff, Robert L. and Hazard, H. W. (eds.). ''A History of the Crusades: Volume II, The Later Crusades 1187–1311''. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 487–521.</ref>

At the end of 1244, Louis was stricken with a severe malarial infection and he vowed that if he recovered he would set out for a Crusade. His life was spared, and as soon as his health permitted him, he took the cross and immediately began preparations.<ref name=":7">James Thomson Shotwell (1911). "[[s:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Louis IX. of France|Louis IX. of France]]". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. '''17.''' (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 37–38.</ref> The next year, the pope presided over [[First Council of Lyon]], directing a new Crusade under the command of Louis. With Rome under siege by Frederick, the pope also issued his ''[[Ad Apostolicae Dignitatis Apicem]]'', formally renewing the sentence of excommunication on the emperor, and declared him deposed from the imperial throne and that of Naples.<ref name=":42">Michael Ott (1910). "[[s:Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Pope Innocent IV|Pope Innocent IV]]". In ''Catholic Encyclopedia''. '''8.''' New York.</ref>

The recruiting effort under cardinal [[Odo of Châteauroux]] was difficult, and the Crusade finally began on 12 August 1248 when Louis IX left Paris under the insignia of a pilgrim, the ''[[Oriflamme]]''.<ref name=":6">Goldsmith, Linda (2006). ''Crusade of Louis IX to the East (1248–1254)''. In The Crusades – An Encyclopedia. pp. 321–324.</ref> With him were queen [[Margaret of Provence]] and two of Louis' brothers, [[Charles I of Anjou]] and [[Robert I, Count of Artois|Robert I of Artois]]. Their youngest brother [[Alfonso, Count of Poitou|Alphonse of Poitiers]] departed the next year. They were followed by [[Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy|Hugh IV of Burgundy]], [[Peter I, Duke of Brittany|Peter Maulcerc]], [[Hugh X of Lusignan|Hugh XI of Lusignan]], royal companion and chronicler [[Jean de Joinville]], and an English detachment under [[William Longespée the Younger|William Longespée]], grandson of [[Henry II of England]].{{sfn|Runciman|1954|pp=256–257|loc=King Louis sails from Agues-Mortes (1248}}

The first stop was Cyprus, arriving in September 1248 where they experienced a long wait for the forces to assemble. Many of the men were lost ''en route'' or to disease.{{sfn|Asbridge|2012|pp=580–584|loc=The preparation for war}} The Franks were soon met by those from Acre including the masters of the Orders [[Jean de Ronay]] and [[Guillaume de Sonnac]]. The two eldest sons of John of Brienne, [[Alfonso of Brienne|Alsonso of Brienne]] and [[Louis of Brienne]], would also join as would [[John of Ibelin (jurist)|John of Ibelin]], nephew to the [[John of Ibelin, the Old Lord of Beirut|Old Lord of Beirut]].{{sfn|Riley-Smith|1973|pp=21–39|loc=Lords, Lordships and Vavasours}} [[William of Villehardouin]] also arrived with ships and Frankish soldiers from the [[Morea]]. It was agreed that Egypt was the objective and many remembered how the sultan's father had been willing to exchange Jerusalem itself for Damietta in the Fifth Crusade. Louis was not willing to negotiate with the infidel Muslims, but he did unsuccessfully seek a [[Franco-Mongol alliance]], reflecting what the pope had sought in 1245.{{sfn|Runciman|1954|p=259–260|loc=Negotiations with the Mongols}}

As-Salih Ayyub conducting a campaign in Damascus when the Franks invaded as he had expected the Crusaders to land in Syria. Hurrying his forces back to Cairo, he turned to his vizier [[Fakhr ad-Din ibn as-Shaikh]] to command the army that fortified [[Damietta]] in anticipation of the invasion. On 5 June 1249 the Crusader fleet began the landing and subsequent [[Siege of Damietta (1249)|siege of Damietta]]. After a short battle, the Egyptian commander decided to evacuate the city.{{sfn|Runciman|1954|pp=262–263|loc=Louis at Damietta (1249)}} Remarkably, Damietta had been seized with only one Crusader casualty.{{sfn|Barber|1994|pp=148–151|loc=The last years of the Templars in Palestine and Syria}} The city became a Frankish city and Louis waited until the Nile floods abated before advancing, remembering the lessons of the Fifth Crusade. The loss of Damietta was a shock to the Muslim world, and as-Salih Ayyub offered to trade Damietta for Jerusalem as his father had thirty years before. The offer was rejected. By the end of October 1249 the Nile had receded and reinforcements had arrived. It was time to advance, and the Frankish army set out towards [[Mansoura, Egypt|Mansurah]].{{sfn|Runciman|1954|pp=264–265|loc=The Crusaders Advance towards Mansourah}}

The sultan died in November 1249, his widow [[Shajar al-Durr]] concealing the news of her husband's death. She forged a document which appointed his son [[al-Muazzam Turanshah]], then in Syria, as heir and Fakhr ad-Din as viceroy.{{sfn|Gibb|1969|p=712|loc=as-Salih Ayyub}} But the Crusade continued, and by December 1249, Louis was encamped on the river banks opposite to Mansurah.{{sfn|Barber|1994|pp=148–151|loc=The last years of the Templars in Palestine and Syria}} For six weeks, the armies of the West and Egypt faced each other on opposite sides of the canal, leading to the [[Battle of Mansurah (1250)|Battle of Mansurah]] that would end on 11 February 1250 with an Egyptian defeat. Louis had his victory, but a cost of the loss of much of his force and their commanders. Among the survivors were the Templar master Guillaume de Sonnac, losing an eye, [[Humbert V de Beaujeu]], constable of France, [[John II, Count of Soissons|John II of Soissons]], and the duke of Brittany, Peter Maulcerc. Counted with the dead were the king's brother [[Robert I, Count of Artois|Robert I of Artois]], [[William Longespée the Younger|William Longespée]] and most of his English followers, [[Peter of Courtenay, Lord of Conches|Peter of Courtenay]], and [[Raoul II, Lord of Coucy|Raoul II of Coucy]]. But the victory would be short-lived.<ref>Nicolle, David (2006). ''Mansurah''. In The Crusades – An Encyclopedia. pp. 794–795.</ref> On 11 February 1250, the Egyptians attacked again. Templar master Guillaume de Sonnac and acting Hospitaller master Jean de Ronay were killed. [[Alphonse, Count of Poitiers|Alphonse of Poitiers]], guarding the camp, was encircled and was rescued by the camp followers. At nightfall, the Muslims gave up the assault.{{sfn|Tyerman|2006|pp=793_802|loc=Defeat, February–March 1250}}
[[File:C_croisade7_prisonnier1.jpg|thumb|Louis IX being taken prisoner at the Battle of Fariskur ([[Gustave Doré]])]]

On 28 February 1250, Turanshah arrived from Damascus and began an Egyptian offensive, intercepting the boats that brought food from Damietta. The Franks were quickly beset by famine and disease.{{sfn|Runciman|1954|pp=268–269|loc=Turanshah takes Command of the Moslems (1250)}} The [[Battle of Fariskur (1250)|Battle of Fariskur]] fought on 6 April 1250 would be the decisive defeat of Louis' army. Louis knew that the army must be extricated to Damietta and they departed on the morning of 5 April, with the king in the rear and the Egyptians in pursuit. The next day, the Muslims surrounded the army and attacked in full force. On 6 April, Louis' surrender was negotiated directly with the sultan by [[Philip of Montfort, Lord of Tyre|Philip of Montfort]]. The king and his entourage were taken in chains to Mansurah and the whole of the army was rounded up and led into captivity.{{sfn|Tyerman|2006|pp=793_802|loc=Defeat, February–March 1250}}

The Egyptians were unprepared for the large number of prisoners taken, comprising most of Louis' force. The infirm were executed immediately and several hundred were decapitated daily. Louis and his commanders were moved to Mansurah, and negotiations for their release commenced. The terms agreed to were harsh. Louis was to ransom himself by the surrender of Damietta and his army by the payment of a million [[bezant]]s (later reduced to 800,000).{{sfn|Runciman|1954|pp=270–271|loc=Louis in Prison (1250)}} Latin patriarch [[Robert of Nantes]] went under safe-conduct to complete the arrangements for the ransom. Arriving in Cairo, he found Turanshah dead, murdered in a coup instigated by his stepmother Shajar al-Durr. On 6 May, [[Geoffrey of Sergines]] handed Damietta over to the Moslem vanguard. Many wounded soldiers had been left behind at Damietta, and contrary to their promise, the Muslims massacred them all. In 1251, the [[Shepherds' Crusade (1251)|Shepherds' Crusade]], a popular crusade formed with the objective to free Louis, engulfed France.<ref>{{Cite CE1913|wstitle=Crusade of the Pastoureaux}}</ref> After his release, Louis went to Acre where he remained until 1254. This is regarded as the end of the Seventh Crusade.<ref name=":0" />