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

just France for the cause. "Pope Innocent IV also recognized the need for a new crusade to relieve Outremer and issued the crusade encyclical Afflicti corde at the Council of Lyons in July 1245. Together with the appointment of a number of crusade preachers led by Odo of Châteauroux, this papal recognition of Louis's expedition boosted recruitment in France. Yet elsewhere enthusiasm was muted. Germany and Italy were preoccupied with the conflict between Emperor Frederick II and the pope, eastern Europe was recovering from the Mongol invasion of 1241, England was dominated by internal conflict, and a new crusade was being launched in Spain against the Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula" ("Crusade of Louis IX," n.d.). Although Louis was able to support the Crusade financially and with French soldiers, it would be difficult without much support from other countries. "Louis IX attempted to reconcile the emperor and the pope in the interests of the crusade, but without success, and tried in vain to secure peace with Henry III of England to ensure that France would not be attacked in his absence" (Crusade of Louis IX," n.d.). So even though he tried, he still failed to rally up support from other countries. His country was even left open to attack during this Crusade. This failure to gain support from others ultimately led to the Crusade's defeat. Much of what Louis did was in vain during this Crusade and the next, and it would have been much better to have done away with the Crusades and figure out a better way to accomplish his goal.
While the Seventh Crusade led by Louis IX was supported by many people in France at the time, the Eighth Crusade was supported by hardly anyone, even within France.

"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

survived.
Before his death, Louis funded many different ventures and did lots for his people, especially the poor.

"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

rule.

Bibliography
Goyau, G. (1910). St. Louis IX. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved October 22, 2017 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09368a.htm
Crusade of Louis IX to the East (1248-1254). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://erenow.com/postclassical/crusades/246.html
Hazard, H. W., Setton, K. M., & Wolff, R. L. (1969). The Crusades of Louis IX. In The later crusades, 1189-1311 (pp. 486-518).
Kiefer, J. E. (n.d.). Louis IX, King of France. Retrieved from http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/47.html
Lucido, A. (n.d.). Louis IX Dies. Retrieved October 21, 2017, from https://worldhistoryproject.org/1270/8/25/louis-ix-dies