Louis Does Not Join The Seventh Crusade

Second Option - Louis Does Not Join the Crusade In 1244, when news came to a sickly Louis IX that the Christians had been defeated and the Muslims had taken over the Holy Land, he firmly resolved to begin a Crusade to take Jerusalem back. He two Crusades, with the second ending in his death. Louis IX was known to have done many good things in his reign and had he not joined the Crusade leading to his death, he could have lived longer and done much more. While the Christians may not have been able to take back the Holy Land just yet during his reign, it may have been a better move for him to not have joined at all and either stop Crusades all together, or wait until a time where there was much more support elsewhere than

"Louis' call for a new crusade in 1267, although there was little support this time; Jean de Joinville, the chronicler who accompanied Louis on the Seventh Crusade, refused to go" (Lucido, n.d.). The Seventh Crusade had lots going for it in terms of support in France and financials, but the Eighth had not had nearly as much support. "None of the earlier expeditions was as well organized or financed, none had a more inspiring leader, none had a better chance of success. The crusade of 1249 was the last whole-hearted effort of Christendom against the infidel" (Hazard, Setton, & Wolff, 1969, p. 487). Had Louis IX seen this huge lack of support, he may have realized it would be very tough to win and he could not have joined and then

"The peace and blessings of the realm come to us through the poor he would say. Beggars were fed from his table, he ate their leavings, washed their feet, ministered to the wants of the lepers, and daily fed over one hundred poor. He founded many hospitals and houses…" (Goyau, 1910). Louis was even a big supporter for new architecture. Some famous places were only created thanks to his support. "His reign co-incided with the great era of building of Gothic cathedrals in France. Robert de Sorbon, the founder of the Sorbonne (University of Paris) was his confessor and his personal friend" (Kiefer, n.d.). With his death, many more potential prospects would never come to be. He could have put more focus on architecture instead of the crusades as well as continue helping the poor, who lost a fantastic leader who helped them. So, the Holy Land would have still been controlled by the Muslims, but the Crusades were not the best way to go about getting it back. Louis could have focused his attention inward, at his own country, and develop it more, with better architecture, more buildings for the homeless and disabled, etc. Since Louis went ahead with the two Crusades, he ended up dying and thus stopping any new prospects that could have arisen under his