Fifth Crusade

The Fifth Crusade (1217–1221) was an attempt to take back Jerusalem and the rest
of the Holy Land by first conquering the powerful Ayyubid state in Egypt.

Pope Honorius III organized crusading armies led by Leopold VI of Austria and
Andrew II of Hungary, and a foray against Jerusalem ultimately left the city in
Muslim hands. Later in 1218 a German army led by Oliver of Cologne and a mixed
army of Dutch, Flemish and Frisian soldiers led by William I, Count of Holland
arrived. In order to attack Damietta in Egypt, they allied with the Seljuk Sultan of
Rum in Anatolia, who attacked the Ayyubids in Syria in an attempt to free the
Crusaders from fighting on two fronts.

After occupying the port of Damietta, the Crusaders marched south towards
Cairo in July of 1221, but were turned back after their dwindling supplies
led to a forced retreat. A nighttime attack by Sultan Al-Kamil resulted in a
great number of crusader losses and eventually in the surrender of the
army. Al-Kamil agreed to an eight-year peace agreement with Europe.

Call to Crusade

In spring 1213, Pope Innocent III issued the papal bull Quia maior, calling all of
Christendom to join a new crusade. The kings and emperors of Europe, however, were
preoccupied with fighting among themselves. At the same time, Pope Innocent III did
not want their help, because a previous crusade led by kings had failed in the past. He
ordered processions, prayers, and preaching to help organize the crusade, as these
would involve the general population, the lower nobles, and knights.

France

The message of the crusade was preached in France by Robert of Courçon; however,
unlike other Crusades, not many French knights joined, as they were already fighting
the Albigensian Crusade against the heretical Cathar sect in southern France.

In 1215 Innocent III called the Fourth Lateran Council, where, along with the Latin
Patriarch of Jerusalem, Raoul of Merencourt, he discussed the recovery of the Holy
Land, among other church business. Innocent wanted this crusade to be under the full
control of the papacy, as the First Crusade was supposed to have been, in order to
avoid the mistakes of the Fourth Crusade, which had been taken over by the
Venetians. Innocent planned for the crusaders to meet at Brindisi in 1216, and
prohibited trade with the Muslims to ensure that the crusaders would have ships and
weapons. Every crusader would receive an indulgence, including those who simply
helped pay the expenses of a crusader but did not go on crusade himself.

Germany and Hungary

Oliver of Cologne had preached the crusade in Germany, and Emperor Frederick II
attempted to join in 1215. Frederick was the last monarch Innocent wanted to join, as
he had challenged the Papacy (and would do so in the years to come). Innocent,

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however, died in 1216. He was succeeded by Pope Honorius III, who barred Frederick
from participating, but organized crusading armies led by Leopold VI of Austria and
Andrew II of Hungary.

Campaign
They left for Acre in 1217, and joined John of Brienne, ruler of the Kingdom of
Jerusalem, Hugh I of Cyprus, and Prince Bohemund IV of Antioch to fight against the
Ayyubids in Syria.

Jerusalem

In Jerusalem, the walls and fortifications were demolished to prevent the Christians
from being able to defend the city if they should reach it and take it. Muslims fled the
city, afraid that there would be a repeat of the bloodbath of the First Crusade in 1099.
The Ayyubids, however, were not interested in fighting. Nothing came of this, and
Andrew, Bohemund, and Hugh returned home in 1218.

Alliance with the Sultanate of Rum

Later in 1218 Oliver of Cologne arrived with a new German army and the count of
Holland William I arrived with a mixed army consisting of Dutch, Flemish and
Frisian soldiers. With Leopold and John they discussed attacking Damietta in Egypt.
To accomplish this they allied with Keykavus I, the Seljuk Sultan of Rum in Anatolia,
who attacked the Ayyubids in Syria in an attempt to free the Crusaders from fighting
on two fronts.

Egypt

In June of 1218 the crusaders began their siege of Damietta, and despite resistance
from the unprepared sultan Al-Adil, the tower outside the city was taken on August
25. They could not gain Damietta itself, and in the ensuing months diseases killed
many of the crusaders, including Robert of Courcon. Al-Adil also died and was
succeeded by Al-Kamil. Meanwhile, Honorius III sent Pelagius of Albano to lead the
crusade in 1219 . Al-Kamil tried to negotiate peace with the crusaders. He offered to
trade Damietta for Jerusalem, but Pelagius would not accept these offers. After
hearing this Count William I of Holland left the crusade and sailed home. In August or
September, Francis of Assisi arrived in the crusader camp and crossed over to preach
to al-Kamil. By November, the crusaders had worn out the sultan's forces, and were
finally able to occupy the port.

Immediately the papal and secular powers fought for control of the town, with John of
Brienne claiming it for himself in 1220 . Pelagius would not accept this and John
returned to Acre later that year. Pelagius hoped Frederick II would arrive with a fresh
army, but he never did; instead, after a year of inactivity in both Syria and Egypt, John
of Brienne returned, and the crusaders marched south towards Cairo in July of 1221 .

By now Al-Kamil was able to ally with the other Ayyubids in Syria, who had defeated
Keykavus I. The crusader march to Cairo was disastrous; the river Nile flooded ahead

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of them, stopping the crusader advance. A dry canal that was previously crossed by
the crusaders flooded, thus blocking the crusader army's retreat. With supplies
dwindling, a forced retreat began, culminating in a night time attack by Al-Kamil
which resulted in a great number of crusader losses and eventually in the surrender of
the army under Pelagius.

Result
The terms of this surrender meant the relinquishing of Damietta to Al-Kamil in
exchange for the release of the crusaders. Al-Kamil agreed to an eight year peace
agreement with Europe and to return a piece of the true cross (which, as it turned out,
Al-Kamil didn't possess).