Seventh Crusade
The Crusade of St. Louis
The last of the major crusades that traditionally has a number was entirely the work of Louis IX, King of France. He undertook the crusade largely upon his own initiative, it was financed by the French crown, he set the objectives, and it was over only when he decided to go home again. The event that spurred the king to go was not anything in particular that happened, although there was a great defeat at Gaza in 1244, but rather it was the king's own illness and brush with death in that same year. While still sick, he swore that if he should recover, he would go on Crusade.
The Seventh shares with the Sixth Crusade the attribute of being under the control of a particular monarch. Taken together, they show plainly that the papacy had lost control of the crusading movement and, equally, that the movement was no longer able to stir interest throughout Europe. The crusades were close to becoming the instrument of national policy.
Like all the other crusades except the First, this one ended in failure. And, like the others, it had unintended consequences in Outremer and almost no effect back home. We will look at both of these.