The Seventh Crusade of King Louis 1248–54 and 1270

The ‘Liberate Jerusalem by first conquering Egypt’ strategy had been tried first, and failed disastrously, in the 5th Crusade. With a confidence not matched by military competence, Louis IX of France decided to replicate the strategy in 1248. Once more, Damiette, at the mouth of the Nile, was taken. Again, the crusaders marched on Cairo and, once more, they met with catastrophe. This time they were not able to surrender, and were annihilated. In each successive battle, the crusading armies were either captured or slain. Louis was taken and ransomed. Undaunted by this failure, Louis once more began to mobilize a crusade in the late 1260s. Originally, he planned to head for the crusader states around Tripoli via Cyprus, the mustering point for his previous crusade. In the end, he decided to sail for Tunis. While laying siege to the city, he died of dysentery, and the crusade was abandoned.