Sixth Crusade

The Sixth Crusade was a 1228–1229 expedition led by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. A treaty with Ayyubid sultan al-Kamil restored Jerusalem and other territories to Christian rule without a major battle.

Treaty of Jaffa (1229): The agreement between Frederick II and al-Kamil that transferred Jerusalem and nearby territories to Christian control. This treaty, rather than a battlefield victory, produced the crusade’s principal territorial gains.
Fifth Crusade: A crusade from 1217 to 1221 that ended in failure after the capture and loss of Damietta in Egypt. Its failure intensified pressure on Frederick to fulfill his own crusading vow.
Kingdom of Jerusalem (post-1229): The crusader kingdom restored around Jerusalem after the 1229 agreement between Frederick II and al-Kamil. The treaty expanded the kingdom’s territory, though its control depended on a limited-term truce.
Siege of Damietta (1218–1219): A prolonged siege during the Fifth Crusade that ended with crusader forces capturing the Egyptian port of Damietta. Unlike this costly military operation, Frederick’s main gains came through a treaty.
Frederick II: Holy Roman emperor from 1220 to 1250 and king of Sicily, known for his diplomacy and conflicts with the papacy. He led the expedition and negotiated directly with al-Kamil.
Pope Honorius III: Head of the Catholic Church from 1216 to 1227 who urged Frederick II to undertake a crusade. He secured Frederick’s vow and repeatedly pressed him to set out.
Jerusalem in the Middle Ages: The history of Jerusalem from late antiquity through the medieval period, including changing political and religious control. The city’s return in 1229 was temporary; Ayyubid forces retook it in 1244.
Battle of Hattin: A decisive 1187 battle in which Saladin defeated the Kingdom of Jerusalem’s army and captured much of its leadership. Hattin’s battlefield defeat contrasts with the Sixth Crusade’s recovery of territory through negotiation.
Al-Kamil: Ayyubid sultan of Egypt from 1218 to 1238 who negotiated with Frederick II. His agreement with Frederick secured the transfer of Jerusalem and other places.
Pope Gregory IX: Head of the Catholic Church from 1227 to 1241, known for his conflict with Frederick II. He excommunicated Frederick after the emperor’s first departure ended in a return to Italy.

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Barons' CrusadeRelated: Its diplomatic recovery of Jerusalem shaped expectations before the baronial expedition.