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Events

Politics and world affairs

The Crusade of Damiette

The Fifth Crusade under John of Brienne cannot make any progress against the Ayyubids under Sultan Abu-Bakr Malik al-ʿAdil I for months, as they repeatedly avoid an open field battle. On January 10, Hugo I of Cyprus dies, prompting his contingent to return home. Also Bohemund IV of Antioch, who in the same year marries Melusine of Jerusalem, and Andrew II. Hungary will return to their home countries in January.
April/May: Cologne crusade preacher Thomas Olivier and Count Wilhelm I of Holland arrive in Acre with Dutch, Flemish, Frisian and German crusaders. The crusaders then decide to attack the Ayyubids in Egypt. An alliance with the Muslim Rum Seljuks under Sultan Kai Kaus I provides that they should simultaneously attack the Ayyubid Empire in Syria.
May 24: The crusade set sail from Acre and reached the Egyptian port city of Damiette three days later. In June, two attacks by the Ayyubids on the crusader camp are repelled.

August 24: The Europeans succeed in conquering the Chain Tower of Damiette with the help of a ship tower devised by Thomas Olivier. They gain control of the only navigable side arm of the Nile. A few days later, Sultan al-Adil I died, whereupon there were power struggles among the Ayyubids. al-Kamil Muhammad al-Malik finally takes over rule in Egypt, his brother al-Malik al-Muʿazzam ʿĪsā Sharaf ad-Dīn becomes the emir of Syria and Palestine including Jerusalem and al-Malik al-Ashraf Musa receives Jazira in Mesopotamian space.
August: Cardinal Pelagius of Albano, by Pope Honorius III. appointed leader of the crusade, joins with an Italian contingent to the crusaders. A short time later, he refused a peace offer by al-Kamil, which included the return of Jerusalem and a 30-year ceasefire.

Crusader States

January 10: When King Hugo I dies from the house of Lusignan, his son and successor Henry I is just a few months old. The regency in the Kingdom of Cyprus is therefore taken over by his mother Alice de Champagne. Philip of Ibelin is appointed Bailli.

Occitan

April 15: After several months of siege of Toulouse, Simon de Montfort, leader of the Albigensian crusade, begins active attacks on the city defended by Count Raimund VI of Toulouse.
June 7: Raimund's son Raimund VII. He can break the siege ring under the cheers of the population and reinforce the defenders with a contingent of Provencal knights.
June 24: Simon de Montfort gives orders to assault the city. The next day, the defenders begin with a failure, in the course of which Simon de Montfort is killed by a boulder from a catapult.
June 26: The French Crusaders and