Outremer
John of Brienne, King and Regent
John ruled well and was well liked by the barons. He renewed the truce with al-Adil in 1212 and continued to look for opportunities to consolidate the position of the Kingdom. His authority was lessened somewhat by the death of his wife in childbirth that same year of 1212. He was king only by virtue of his marriage to Queen Maria. With her death, he became regent for the new-born princess, Yolanda. Still, his personal prestige was such that he was generally followed and supported.
In 1216, John got word of the Fifth Crusade. His truce with al-Adil was not due to expire until 1217, which left him free to help the Crusaders in their attack on Egypt. As usual, there were financial and transportation problems back in Europe, and only a trickle of knights arrived in 1217. Among these was the King of Hungary, who accomplished nothing and went home the same year. A Frisian fleet arrived in 1218, and it was John and the Frisians who decided to attack at Damietta.
John's participation in the Fifth Crusade is covered elsewhere. He quarreled with the papal legate, Pelagius, and returned to Acre for a time in 1220. He went back to Damietta in 1221, where he helped negotiate terms after the humiliating defeat at Mansourah.
John was now in his seventies and needed to find a husband for Yolanda, who was eleven. The old warrior travelled to Europe in 1222. At Herman von Salza's suggestion, he betrothed her to Emperor Frederick II. It seemed to be a brilliant match. Frederick had already taken the crusader vow, and adding the Kingdom of Jerusalem to his collection of titles would be quite prestigious. And he could afford the financial drain. And Outremer would gain a powerful patron. As matters turned out, however, this one marriage turned out to be debilitating for the Kingdom.
That was in the future, however. While John was still in Europe, his old friend King Philip died (14 July 1223), leaving 50,000 marks to Outremer. John stayed to attend the coronation of Louis VIII, then went on pilgrimage to Compostella, and returned to Acre in 1224.
Outremer remained at peace during these years in part due to John's diplomacy and in part because al-Adil was disinclined to press matters. The Franj in Outremer were not much of a threat, though the Military Orders were always to be feared. The problem for the Muslim leaders was always that they might be too successful. As had been demonstrated by both Zengi and Saladin, a sudden or striking success would stir up a crusade in the West, bringing large armies and great risks. Better to leave the local Franj at peace, clinging to the shores of Palestine and Syria, and have a free hand against more dangerous enemies at home.
As for the Kingdom of Jerusalem itself, John was unable to go on the offensive because he lacked resources. Now began a slow process that would continue for the rest of the century in which barons would sell their estates, often to the Military Orders, and either go back to Europe or move to Cyprus. The island kingdom proved to be a powerful attraction: it was safe from the Muslims, but was still close to the Holy Land. Knights could and did cross the water to campaign in Palestine or Syria, but only as it pleased them, and they likewise returned home as it pleased them. John could never count on them, much less summon them.
Outremer needed a strong leader with deep pockets if it was ever going to recover any significant portion of the lands lost to Saladin. Frederick II was both strong and rich. He was to marry Yolanda in 1225, as soon as she reached the legal age of fourteen. Matters then would surely improve!