Waiting for the Train That Would Never Come: The Fifth Crusade

Image: The Crusaders' maritime charge against the Tower of Damietta, Egypt

The main enemy of a string of Crusader kingdoms spread along the coast of Palestine was the Mamluk Sultanate based in Egypt. The Fifth Crusade was spearheaded against the hostile power in hope to wrest control of the Holy Land.    

The stalemate stirred unjustified hopes for the global assault against the Muslim world. King David, Prester John's successor, was destined to play one of the leading roles in this campaign. The following extract describes the confused ambiance prevaling among the Crusaders who pinned their hopes on a non-existent savior: 

"After yielding Jerusalem to Salah ad-Din, better known in the West as Saladin, in the wake of the battle of Hattin, the Latin dominion in the Outremer was reduced to a narrow coastal strip stretching from Jaffa to Antioch. The costly enterprise was in constant jeopardy of extinction. Full of determination to turn the tide in the permanent confrontation with Islam and restore the Christian sway over the Holy City, the pope summoned the Lateran Council to proclaim a fresh crusade. 

The bloody military engagements of the Fifth Crusade pitted the motley host gathered from diverse parts of Europe against the standing army of the sultan of Egypt assisted by his royal brothers, the rulers of Syria and Mesopotamia.

One of the most acute problems of this Crusade was the lack of the charismatic leader who could tame the indomitable energy of rank-and-file warriors and guide them to carry out the Mission Impossible of conquering Egypt.

The participants were waiting to no avail for the arrival of the ultimate commander-in-chief, the potentate of the Holy Roman Empire Frederick. For lack of the better, the crusaders agreed to nominate King John of Jerusalem, who was put in charge of the siege of Damietta, a bustling port in the Nile Delta and the gateway to Egypt. A shrewd political leader, the monarch understood that there were not enough troops under his command to subdue the land of the pyramids, which became the transit goal of the occupation force.  

Engaged in the games of honor, the elite commanders would hang their troops in abeyance rather than in action. Meanwhile, famine and pestilence, ravages of weather and hostile attacks took a heavy toll on common fighters.

This bout of inactivity put the invading host at low ebb. Jacque de Vitry, the bishop of Acre and one of the crucial propagandists of the Crusade, recalls that most of the participants "were in the grip of despair." (41) Besides, the number of fighting troops would melt in a seasonal Ferris Wheel of arrivals and withdrawals since the sum of quitters had far surpassed the stock of newcomers. The papal fury reached white heat and a handful of the departing leaders were excommunicated.

The Crusaders’ initial task was to seize Damietta, a river port city perched between the eastern branch of the Nile and a lake, with the year-round access to the Mediterranean. The attackers, who became bogged down in a blockade over the enemy stronghold, were disturbed by occasional bites of the sultan’s relief army. In addition, local pirates endeavored to cut the maritime supply line serving the occupant troops.

The routine of this humdrum existence was interrupted by the arrival of the papal legate Pelagius, who was tossed in the still water like a heavy rock. Those who stood for a fast advance received reinforcement in the person of this energetic bishop who became the guiding spirit of the Fifth Crusade."