The Seventh Crusade (1248-1254 CE) was led by the French king Louis IX (r. 1226-1270 CE) who intended to conquer Egypt and take over Jerusalem, both then controlled by the Muslim Ayyubid Dynasty. Despite the initial success of capturing Damietta on the Nile, the Crusader army was, in 1250 CE, routed at Mansourah in a repetition of the events of the Fifth Crusade (1217-1221 CE). Louis was captured and then ransomed but remained determined to fulfil his Crusader vows, launching the Eighth Crusade in 1270 CE.
Prologue: The Fall of Jerusalem
The Sixth Crusade (1228-1229 CE) had been led by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II (r. 1220-1250 CE) who managed to avoid any actual fighting and negotiate control of Jerusalem from the Sultan of Egypt and Syria, al-Kamil (r. 1218-1238 CE). 15 years later, though, trouble was brewing again as al-Kamil's successors fought to maintain the Ayyubid Empire which al-Kamil's uncle, Saldin, had founded in 1174 CE. As in the past, some Muslim cities not under Ayyubid control (notably Damascus) continued to form alliances of convenience with the Latin states in the Middle East.
