Eighth Crusade

Overview

The Eighth Crusade was the second Crusade launched by Louis IX of France, this one against the Hafsid dynasty in Tunisia in 1270. It is also known as the Crusade of Louis IX Against Tunis or the Second Crusade of Louis. The Crusade did not see any significant fighting as Louis died of dysentery shortly after arriving on the shores of Tunisia. The Treaty of Tunis was negotiated between the Crusaders and the Hafsids. No changes in territory occurred, though there were commercial and some political rights granted to the Christians. The Crusaders withdrew back to Europe soon after.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Eighth Crusade was the second major expedition led by Louis IX of France, directed this time against the Hafsid dynasty in Tunisia rather than Egypt or the Holy Land. It produced no significant military engagement: Louis died of dysentery shortly after the crusading force arrived on the Tunisian coast, ending the campaign before any substantial fighting took place. The expedition concluded with the Treaty of Tunis, which granted Christians certain commercial and political rights but resulted in no territorial changes. The crusaders withdrew to Europe shortly thereafter. Within the broader arc of the Crusades, the Eighth Crusade marked a further failure to reverse Christian losses in the eastern Mediterranean and represented the last major crusading effort organized under Louis IX, one of the most prominent royal crusaders of the thirteenth century. The outcome reinforced the pattern of crusading expeditions failing to achieve strategic objectives, contributing to the diminishing capacity of the crusading movement to mount effective campaigns in the final decades before the fall of Acre in 1291.

Commanders (10)