LOOKING BACK AT HISTORY: THE FIFTH CRUSADE
The Fifth Crusade (1217–1221) is a fascinating study in missed opportunities. It was a campaign that came incredibly close to total victory, only to be undone by stubborn leadership and the unpredictable forces of nature. It also contains one of the most beautiful moments of peace in the entire history of the Crusades.
Here is the post for your column, LOOKING BACK AT HISTORY.
🌊 The Fifth Crusade: The Siege of Egypt and the Saint’s Mission
After the heartbreak of the Children’s Crusade and the scandal of the Fourth, the Catholic Church was desperate to regain its footing. Pope Innocent III spent his final years organizing a massive, professional expedition. The strategy had shifted permanently: to win Jerusalem, the Crusaders first had to break the power of Egypt, the heart of the Ayyubid Empire.
A crusade defined by a massive siege, a flooded river, and a daring bridge-building mission by a man of peace.
🛡️ The Strategy: The Gateway of Damietta
The Crusaders realized that the Ayyubid Sultans used the enormous wealth of the Nile Delta to fund their armies. If the Christians could capture the port city of Damietta, they could trade it back to the Muslims in exchange for Jerusalem.
The campaign was led by a diverse group of nobles, including King Andrew II of Hungary and John of Brienne, the titular King of Jerusalem. However, the most influential—and controversial—figure was the Papal Legate, Pelagius. He was a hardline cleric who believed that as a representative of the Pope, he should have final say over military matters, a tension that would eventually prove fatal to the mission.
🏹 The Siege and the Tower of Chain
The siege of Damietta began in 1218. The city was a fortress, protected by a massive iron chain stretched across the Nile to prevent ships from passing. To break into the harbor, the Crusaders had to capture a heavily fortified tower in the middle of the river.
In a display of medieval engineering, they built a massive "siege castle" on top of two ships lashed together. After months of brutal fighting, they captured the tower, broke the chain, and surrounded the city. The siege lasted over a year. Inside, famine and disease decimated the population. When the Crusaders finally entered Damietta in 1219, they found a city of ghosts.
🕊️ A Meeting of Minds: St. Francis and the Sultan
While the siege was raging, a man arrived in the Crusader camp who didn't carry a sword. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan Order, had a radical idea: he wanted to end the war through conversion rather than combat.
In one of history's most extraordinary encounters, Francis crossed the battle lines and was brought before the Ayyubid Sultan al-Kamil. The Sultan, a nephew of the great Saladin, was known for his intellect and tolerance. Instead of executing the monk, al-Kamil listened to him.
While Francis did not convert the Sultan, the two men found a deep mutual respect. Al-Kamil was so impressed by Francis’s courage and piety that he allowed him to preach to his soldiers and sent him back to the Christian camp with gifts. This encounter remains a powerful symbol of interfaith dialogue amidst the fires of war.
🌊 The Disaster of the Nile
Following the fall of Damietta, Sultan al-Kamil offered the Crusaders an incredible deal: he would give them Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth if they would simply leave Egypt.
John of Brienne and the military leaders urged the Crusaders to accept. It was exactly what they had come for. However, the Papal Legate Pelagius refused. He was arrogant and convinced that a total military conquest of Egypt was possible. He ordered the army to march on Cairo.
It was a catastrophic mistake. Pelagius timed the march perfectly with the annual flooding of the Nile.
As the Crusader army marched south, al-Kamil’s engineers opened the sluice gates and dikes. The dry land turned into a swamp overnight. The Crusaders were trapped in a sea of mud, surrounded by the Sultan's galleys, with no way to retreat and no food.
📉 The Impact: A Hard Lesson in Hubris
The mighty Crusader army was forced to surrender in August 1221. To save their lives, they had to give back Damietta and leave Egypt with nothing.
1. The Failure of Clerical Command
The Fifth Crusade proved that military decisions should not be made by bishops. The blame for the failure fell squarely on Pelagius, weakening the Papacy's influence over future military planning.
2. The Rise of the Sultan's Reputation
Sultan al-Kamil emerged as a hero. He not only defeated the West but did so with mercy, providing food to the starving Crusader prisoners after their surrender. His reputation for fairness paved the way for the diplomatic successes of the next Crusade.
3. The Lasting Franciscan Presence
The meeting between St. Francis and the Sultan led to the Franciscans being granted the "Custody of the Holy Land," a role they still hold today, maintaining and protecting Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
The Fifth Crusade was the "Crusade of What Might Have Been." It showed that even when victory is offered on a silver platter, pride and a lack of local knowledge—like the rhythm of the Nile—can turn a triumph into a tragedy.
Next up is the Sixth Crusade. It is unlike any other because it involves a "forbidden" Emperor who won Jerusalem without shedding a single drop of blood! Would you like to cover that tomorrow?
