History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 90 Episode 97 the Warring Merchants

Hello again.

Last week we saw King Louis IX return to Europe after his failed crusade

and his slightly more successful four-year stay in the Kingdom of Acre.

Now although the Latin Christians in the

Crusader states are unaware of the fact, they are facing their final few decades as

a ruling presence in the Holy Land.

Before the end of the 13th century, the county of Tripoli, the Principality of Antioch and the

kingdom of Acre will all cease to exist.

When King Louis reluctantly left the Holy Land to return to his kingdom in France, it was the year 1254.

The last stronghold of Frankish power in the Holy Land, the city of Acre will fall in the year 1291, marking the end of Latin Christian

rule in the Holy Land.

For the Latin Christians in the Middle East, the clock is ticking.

Now, as you can imagine, a lot happens in the Holy Land over the next 40 or so years. The main threats to

Latin Christian power in the Middle East can be summed up in two words, both beginning with M, Mongols and Mamlocks. But before we take a

closer look at these external threats, I want to spend an episode looking at the internal

troubles faced by the crusader states during this time.

So this is it people, the end days of the crusader states. Let's set the scene.

Prior to his departure King Louis did all he could to ensure the Crusader states were on a sound footing

and able to manage their own affairs.

We saw from last week's episode that he assisted the teenage prince Beaumond the sixth to commence his rule of the Principality of Antioch.

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