Battles of the High Middle Ages

High Middle Ages 987 – 1328

38 battles in this era

Characteristics of the era

Capetian dynasty and royal centralisation

Crusades and expansion towards the East

Struggle against the Plantagenets

Rise of towns and trade

Key figures

PIA

Philip II Augustus

LI(L

Louis IX (Saint Louis)

WtC

William the Conqueror

Battles of the era

High Middle Ages

Victory

Battle of Pontlevoy

1016-07-06

Pontlevoy, Touraine (modern France)

Commandant français Coots III of Anjou, Herbert I of Maine

Adversaire County of Blois, led by Odo II

On July 6, 1016, Fulk III of Anjou rushed from Langeais with an incomplete host to rescue the fortress of Montrichard besieged by Odo II of Blois. His initial shock fails and he is thrown off his horse, but the intervention of Knight Goscelin allows him to get back into the saddle. While the Blesois knights pursue the Angevins in dispersed order, the column of Herbert I of Maine emerges from the wooded edges and strikes from the flank. Caught between Fulk' counterattack and the arrival of these fresh reinforcements, the Blesois ost collapsed; several Champagne barons perished there and Odo had to abandon the battlefield.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Victory

Battle of Moncontour

1033-10-18

Moncontour, Poitou (modern France)

Commandant français Coots III of Anjou

Adversaire Odo II of Blois

On October 18, 1033, Fulk Nerra surprised Odo II near Moncontour while the Count of Blois tried to take advantage of the Aquitaine regency to extend his influence towards the lower Loire. The Angevin, Le Mans and Poitevin contingents occupied the hillsides overlooking the plain and fortified their outposts with hedges and ditches. Forced to attack uphill, Odo saw his knights slowed down, then overwhelmed by the reserve led by Geoffrey Martel; unhorsed, he was captured with several bannerets.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Battle of Bar-le-Duc

1037

Bar-le-Duc, Lorraine (modern France)

Commandant français Godfrey II, Duke of Lower Lotharingia (ally of the Capetians)

Adversaire Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor, imperial forces commanded by Werner of Maden

In November 1037, Eudes II of Blois attempted to seize Lorraine left vacant by the death of Conrad the Younger. His army, composed of Champenois, southern Lorraines and Burgundian reinforcements, was intercepted near Bar-le-Duc by the imperial forces united by Gothelo I and his brother Godfroid the Bearded. After an initial engagement favorable to the Blesois knights, an imperial countercharge led by Lotharingian heavy cavalry broke their center and Eudes was killed on the battlefield, leading to the dissolution of his army.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Battle of Mortemer

1054

Mortemer, Normandy (modern France)

Commandant français Henry I of France

Adversaire William the Bastard (Duke of Normandy)

During the winter of 1053-1054, Henry I of France and Geoffrey Martel of Anjou invaded Normandy to weaken William the Bastard. While the king besieged Arques, a French corps led by Odon de Champagne, Renaud de Clermont and Guy de Ponthieu camped near Mortemer. On the night of February 6, Robert de Mortain, Robert d'Eu and Hugues de Gournay surprised this contingent: the Normans burned the camp, overwhelmed the royal cavalry and captured numerous barons, forcing the king to lift the siege of Arques.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Battle of Varaville

1057

Varaville, Normandy (modern France)

Commandant français Henry I of France

Adversaire William the Bastard (Duke of Normandy)

In August 1057, Henry I and Geoffrey Martel launched a second expedition to Normandy and reached the Dives estuary. Taking advantage of the low tide, the Franco-Angevine army begins the crossing, but the vanguard passes before the rearguard can cross the mudflats. William the Bastard, informed by his scouts, attacks the late detachment: the Norman cavalry crushes the still scattered troops, captures the baggage and throws many knights into the swollen river.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Victory

Battle of Cassel

1071-02-22

Cassel, Flanders (modern France)

Commandant français Philip I of France and Robert the Frisian

Adversaire Arnulf III of Flanders and Richilde of Hainaut

On February 22, 1071, on the heights of Cassel, Robert the Frisian faced the army of his nephew Arnoul III supported by Richilde of Hainaut, by King Philip I and by imperial contingents. After several hours of fierce melee, Robert managed to break through the opposing vanguard, took Count Eustache de Boulogne prisoner and killed Arnoul himself, causing the rout of the loyalist party.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Victory

Battle of Saint-Gilles

1082

Saint-Gilles, Languedoc (modern France)

Commandant français Philip I of France

Adversaire William IV of Auvergne

In 1082, Philippe I descended into the Bas-Rhône to secure the rich abbey of Saint-Gilles and the royal tolls surrounding it. William IV of Auvergne, allied with the Languedoc barons hostile to the king, tried to take the city by surprise but came up against the royal garrison. Philippe rushes with a host made up of Ile-de-France knights and Provençal auxiliaries, overthrows the Auvergnats to the south of the town and captures Guillaume after a chase into the marshes of the Camargue.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Victory

Battle of Nicaea

1097-06-14

Nicaea (today İznik, Türkiye)

Commandant français Godfrey of Bouillon, Raymond of Saint-Gilles, Hugues of Vermandois, Bohemond of Taranto, Stephen of Blois

Adversaire Seljuk Empire of Rum – Kilij Arslan I

From May 14 to June 19, 1097, the armies of the First Crusade surrounded Nicaea, capital of Kilij Arslan. The French contingents, led by Godfrey of Bouillon, Raymond of Saint-Gilles and Bohémond, established countervallation lines while the Byzantine fleet of Manuel Boutoumites locked Lake Askania. The repeated assaults on the walls, combined with the failed return of Kilij Arslan, led to the negotiated capitulation of the garrison for the benefit of the Byzantine Empire.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Victory

Battle of Dorylaeum

1097-07-01

Dorylaeum (present-day Eskişehir, Türkiye)

Commandant français Bohemond of Taranto, Robert of Normandy, Adhemar of Le Puy, Godfrey of Bouillon

Adversaire Seljuks of Roum, commanded by Kilij Arslan I, reinforced by Danishmendid troops

On July 1, 1097, the column of Bohemond and Robert of Normandy, loaded with baggage, was attacked near Dorylaeum by the horsemen of Kilij Arslan and the Danichmendide emir. The Turks surrounded the crusaders and harassed their lines until the arrival of Godfrey of Bouillon, Raymond of Saint-Gilles and Hugh of Vermandois who, after a forced march, reached the enemy rear. Stuck between two masses of heavy cavalry, the Turkish army disbanded and abandoned its camp.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Victory

Battle of Antioch

1098-06-28

Antioch (now Antakya, Türkiye)

Commandant français Godfrey of Bouillon, Raymond of Saint-Gilles, Bohemond of Taranto, Robert of Flanders

Adversaire Muslim coalition led by Kerbogha, atabeg of Mosul

After the capture of Antioch thanks to the betrayal of Firouz on June 3, 1098, the crusaders found themselves surrounded by Kerbogha of Mosul. Hungry and demoralized, they nevertheless organized an outing on June 28 in seven aligned battles, led by Bohemond, Robert of Flanders, Hugues of Vermandois and Raymond of Saint-Gilles. The Frankish lines pierce the Muslim left wing, while the rearguard of Tancred fixes the Turks; Kerbogha, fearing betrayal by his allies, ordered a retreat, leaving Antioch to the crusaders.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Victory

Capture of Jerusalem

1099-07-15

Jerusalem

Commandant français Godfrey of Bouillon, Raymond of Saint-Gilles, Tancrede of Hauteville

Adversaire Fatimids of Egypt, commanded by Iftikhar ad-Dawla (governor of Jerusalem)

After a month of siege punctuated by unsuccessful assaults, the crusaders relaunched the attack on July 15, 1099: the siege tower moved during the night by Godfrey and Tancred opened a breach near the gate of Saint-Étienne, while Raymond of Saint-Gilles fixed the defenders on Mount Sion. The Frankish troops then swept through the northern districts and, after two days of street fighting and massacres, Jerusalem fell, marking the triumphant completion of the First Crusade.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Victory

Battle of Ascalon

1099-08-12

Ascalon (now Ashkelon, Israel)

Commandant français Godfrey of Bouillon, Raymond of Saint-Gilles, Robert of Normandy, Tancred of Hauteville

Adversaire Fatimid army of Egypt, commanded by Al-Afdal Shahanshah

On August 12, 1099, barely a month after the conquest of Jerusalem, the Crusader host marched at night from Ramla and rushed at dawn on the Al-Afdal camp in Ascalon. Despite their numerical inferiority, the Frankish contingents broke the Fatimid right wing, seized the banners and transformed the confrontation into a general rout, definitively ensuring the military success of the crusade.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Battle of Heraclea

1101-08

Heraclea (Herakleia), Anatolia (present-day Türkiye)

Commandant français William IX of Aquitaine, Stephen of Blois, Hugh of Vermandois

Adversaire Kilij Arslan I, Sultan of the Seljuks of Rum

In mid-August 1101, the contingents led by William IX of Aquitaine, Stephen of Blois and Hugh of Vermandois were surprised near Heraclea of Cappadocia: forced to cross a narrow gorge, they were surrounded by Kilij Arslan and his Danishmendide allies. After two days of harassing combat, the crusader columns gave way, the cavalry was isolated and the army was almost wiped out, with only a handful of lords reaching the Byzantine asylum of Germanicaea.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Battle of Mersivan

1101-08

Mersivan (now Merzifon, Türkiye)

Commandant français William of Nevers, Conrad of Bavaria, Raymond of Saint-Gilles

Adversaire Seljuk coalition led by Kılıç Arslan I

At the end of August 1101, the coalition led by Raymond of Saint-Gilles, William of Nevers and Conrad of Bavaria was surrounded on the wooded plateau of Mersivan. Five days of incessant attacks saw the Turkish cavalry successively break the Lombard vanguard, burn the central camp and crush the Duke of Burgundy's attempted breakthrough; Raymond only escapes by abandoning the bulk of the pilgrims, captured or massacred.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Battle of Ancyra

1101-09

Ancyra (now Ankara, Türkiye)

Commandant français William II of Nevers

Adversaire Seljuks of Rüm led by Kılıç Arslan I

In September 1101, the last western corps commanded by William II of Nevers left Ancyra, unaware of the disaster at Mersivan; on the third day of march, as he descends towards the plain of Sangarios, Kilij Arslan intercepts him, cuts the baggage train and surrounds the Burgundian knights. Despite several regroupings on a hill, the column was dislocated and only a few survivors reached Sinope before being repatriated by sea.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Battle of Ramla

1102-05

Ramla, kingdom of Jerusalem (present-day Israel)

Commandant français Baldwin I of Jerusalem, supported by French knights

Adversaire Fatimid commander al-Afdhal Shahanshah

On May 17, 1102, Baldwin I led around two hundred knights and a few hundred infantrymen against the Fatimid army of Al-Afdhal. Deceived by scouts who announced a reduced column, he accepted the battle near Ramla. After an initial victorious shock, the Franks discovered the immensity of the Egyptian corps, were overwhelmed and retreated into the tower of Ramla. A core of knights held the tower all night while Baldwin, escorted by a handful of men, broke through the encirclement and reached Arsouf then Jaffa by sea.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Battle of Harran

1104-05-07

Harran, Upper Mesopotamia (present-day Türkiye/Syria)

Commandant français Baldwin II of Jerusalem, Bohemond I of Antioch (originally from southern France)

Adversaire Jikirmish of Mosul and Sökmen of Artuqid

In the spring of 1104, Baldwin II of Edessa and Bohemond of Antioch besieged Harran in order to control the trade route to Mosul. When Sökmen of Artuq and Jikirmish of Mosul arrive to rescue the city, the Franks abandon the siege and regroup on the plain of Balikh. The Turks simulate a retreat; the Antiochian wing which pursued them found itself isolated and the Turkish horsemen fell back on the army of Edessa, which was quickly crushed. Baudouin II and Joscelin de Courtenay are captured while the rest of the army disperses.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Victory

Battle of Jaffa

1105-05-27

Jaffa, Kingdom of Jerusalem (present-day Israel)

Commandant français Baldwin I of Jerusalem

Adversaire Fatimid commanders of Ascalon, supported by Turkish contingents

On July 27, 1105, Baldwin I faced a new Fatimid invasion near Jaffa led by Al-Afdhal and reinforced by Seljuk contingents from Damascus. He divided his knights into five squadrons supported by the recently landed Genoese infantry and archers. After several frontal shocks, the royal reserve pushed the enemy center while a sortie of the knights of Jaffa struck the Fatimid rear, transforming the battle into a rout.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Battle of Tell Bashir

1108

Tell Bashir (today Tell Bāshir, Türkiye)

Commandant français Tancred of Hauteville

Adversaire Jawali Saqawa, atabeg of Mosul, allied with Ridwan of Aleppo

In the summer of 1108, Baldwin II of Edessa returned from captivity and confronted his former regent Tancred near Tell Bashir. Supported by the atabeg Jawali Saqawa, he engaged in a confused battle where the Turkish horsemen harassed the antiochine lines while the Burgundian knights of Baudouin charged the center. Tancred, overwhelmed, had to retreat towards Artah, paving the way for Baldwin's return to his capital.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Victory

Siege and capture of Tire

1124-07-07

Tire (today Sur, Lebanon)

Commandant français Baldwin II of Jerusalem (with French and Venetian reinforcements)

Adversaire Fatimids of Egypt

From November 1123 to July 1124, Baldwin II, supported by the Venetian fleet of doge Domenico Michiel and by contingents from France, besieged Tyre, the last major Fatimid port on the coast. The Latins built giant towers, relentlessly bombarded the ramparts and suffocated the city with a complete maritime blockade. Exhausted by famine, the garrison capitulated on July 7, 1124.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Battle of Raphanie

1129-10

Raphanie (near Deraa, southern present-day Syria)

Commandant français Fulk of Anjou (future king of Jerusalem), Hugh II of Le Puiset

Adversaire Burids of Damascus, commanded by Taj al-Muluk Buri

In October 1129, the Frankish expedition lifted the siege of Damascus in pouring rain. The convoy retreats through the Raphanie gorges when the Burid horsemen emerge from the rearguard. The banners of Tripoli are toppled, the columns break and the retreat turns into flight: only a few groups led by Fulk of Anjou and Baldwin II reach the Galilee.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Battle of Mount Cadmus

1148-10

Mount Cadmus (near Denizli, Anatolia, present-day Türkiye)

Commandant français Louis VII of France

Adversaire Seljuks of Rum, led by Masud I

On January 6, 1148, the French column crossed Mount Cadmus (Honaz Dağı) when Seljuk mounted archers attacked it from the slopes. The line of pilgrims and baggage broke up, the rear guard was cut to pieces and many carts were thrown into the ravines. Louis VII, separated from the main body of the army, took refuge with his guard on a rocky spur before joining the column in the evening.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Siege of Damascus

1148-07

Damascus, Syria

Commandant français Louis VII of France, Conrad III of Germany, Baldwin III of Jerusalem

Adversaire Damascus forces commanded by Mu'in ad-Din Unur (Burid regent)

From July 24 to 28, 1148, the armies of Louis VII, Conrad III and Baldwin III surrounded Damascus. After conquering the western orchards, they installed siege machines and palisades but suffered violent counter-offensives led by Mu'in ad-Din Unur. Fearing the arrival of Zengid reinforcements, the crusaders moved their camp to the southeast; the maneuver fails and the siege is raised in confusion.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Battle of Inab

1149-06-29

Inab (today Syria, northwest of Aleppo)

Commandant français Raymond of Poitiers, Prince of Antioch

Adversaire Nur ad-Din, emir of Aleppo and Mosul

On June 29, 1149, Raymond of Poitiers led the army of Antioch and Armenian auxiliaries against Nur ad-Din near the ford of Inab. After repelling a raid on Artah, he seeks a pitched battle; Nur ad-Din lures the Franks to an isolated hill, closes the noose and annihilates the army. Raymond died fighting and his head was sent to Aleppo.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Battle of Laodicea

1157-09

Laodicea-sur-Mer (today Latakia, Syria)

Commandant français Renaud de Châtillon, prince of Antioch (of French origin)

Adversaire Nur ad-Din, emir of Aleppo

In September 1157, Renaud de Châtillon led a daring raid against Laodicée-sur-Mer to collect tribute. Warned, Nur ad-Din descends from Aleppo with his cavalry and surprises the Franks in the middle of a raid. Wedged between the sea and the walls, the troops of Antioch are crushed; few escape capture.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Battle of Harenc

1164-08

Harenc (near Aleppo, today Harim, Syria)

Commandant français Raymond III of Tripoli, Bohemond III of Antioch, Hugh de Lusignan, crusader lords (from the French nobility)

Adversaire Nur ad-Din, emir of Aleppo

On August 12, 1164, Raymond III of Tripoli and Bohemond III of Antioch marched to clear the fortress of Harenc besieged by Nur ad-Din. After having pushed the Muslim vanguard and pillaged the enemy camp, the crusaders continued beyond the Orontes River; Nur ad-Din, who had retained reserves, then launched an enveloping counter-offensive which crushed the Frankish army and captured most of its leaders.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Battle of Verneuil

1179-08-17

Verneuil-sur-Avre, Normandy, France

Commandant français Louis the Lion (future Louis VIII), Capetian commander

Adversaire Anglo-Norman forces loyal to Henry II Plantagenet

On August 17, 1179, Louis, son of Philip II Augustus, led a raid against Verneuil to cut Plantagenet communications. While he tried to surprise the place, the Anglo-Norman knights suddenly came out and, reinforced by William the Marshal, took the Capetian vanguard from the flank. The French army is disintegrating; Louis is unhorsed and taken prisoner before being released for ransom.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Battle of Hattin

1187-07-04

Hill of Hattin, near Lake Tiberias (present-day Israel)

Commandant français Guy of Lusignan (king of Jerusalem, from the French nobility), Raymond III of Tripoli, Gérard de Ridefort

Adversaire Saladin, Ayyubid sultan

On July 3 and 4, 1187, the army of Guy of Lusignan left Sephoria to rescue the besieged Tiberias. Diverted towards the volcanic hills known as the 'horns of Hattin', it suffered two days of harassment, lost its water reserves and saw its infantry squares broken by Ayyubid charges. On the morning of July 4, the banner of the True Cross was captured, Guy, Renaud de Châtillon and Gérard de Ridefort fell into the hands of Saladin and the crusader camp was overwhelmed.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Victory

Battle of Soindres (Mantes)

1188-08-17

Soindres, near Mantes-la-Jolie, France

Commandant français Philip II Augustus

Adversaire English forces loyal to Henry II Plantagenet

On August 17, 1188, taking advantage of a truce broken by Henry II, an Anglo-Norman column set fire to the suburbs of Mantes. Philip II urgently gathered royal knights and urban militias, blocked the road to Soindres and, after a charge of his heavy cavalry, pushed the looters back towards the Seine where many of them drowned. The English ride is dispersed and the loot abandoned.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Victory

Siege of Acre

1189-08 to 1191-07-12

Acre (now Akko, Israel)

Commandant français Philip II of France (with Richard the Lionheart)

Adversaire Ayyubids (Saladin garrison)

From August 28, 1189 to July 12, 1191, the Crusader armies surrounded Acre. Guy of Lusignan established a camp in the north, soon joined by French reinforcements led by Philip II then Richard the Lionheart. For nearly two years, daily fighting, rolling tower assaults and naval blockade stifled the Ayyubid garrison. Exhausted by famine and deprived of hope of relief, the city capitulated to the crusading kings.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Battle of Fréteval

1194-07

Fréteval, France

Commandant français Philip II Augustus

Adversaire Richard the Lionheart

On July 3, 1194, Philip II Augustus marched towards Vendôme when Richard the Lionheart, released a few months earlier, arrived from Chinon with a light cavalry of Brabançons and Poitevin knights. Overtaken at Fréteval, the Capetian host is jostled; Philip briefly organized a line of battle before ordering a retreat, abandoning his chariots, his treasure and almost all of the royal archives.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Battle of Gisors

1198-09-27

Gisors, Normandy (France)

Commandant français Philip II Augustus

Adversaire Richard the Lionheart, King of England and Duke of Aquitaine

On September 27, 1198, Philip II Augustus attempted to cut an Anglo-Norman column near Courcelles-lès-Gisors. Richard the Lionheart, warned, concentrated his cavalry and charged before the French occupied the Epte bridge. The Capetian banners are overturned; the king of France is thrown into the river with several knights and owes his salvation only to his light chain mail.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Victory

Battle of Damme

1213-05-30

Damme, near Bruges (present-day Belgium)

Commandant français William of the Rocks

Adversaire John Lackland, King of England

On May 30, 1213, Philip II Augustus sent a fleet from Gravelines to strike the transports that John Lackland had gathered at Damme. The French ships, led by Eustace the Monk and supported by the troops of William des Roches and Robert de Courtenay landed on the quays, surprised the English garrison. Within hours, nearly four hundred cargo ships were captured or burned, ruining invasion preparations.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Victory

Battle of Bouvines

1214-07-27

Bouvines, Flanders (today in the North, France)

Commandant français Philip II Augustus

Adversaire Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor; Ferrand of Flanders; Renaud of Boulogne; William Long Sword

On July 27, 1214, Philip II Augustus confronted the coalition army of Otto IV near Bouvines, strong of Flemings, Brabançons and English knights. The battle begins with the attack of the imperial left wing on the French communal militias; after fierce fighting, the counter-charge of the Capetian chivalry pushed the imperial center. Otto IV fled, while Ferrand of Flanders, Renaud of Boulogne and William Longsword were captured, sealing the Capetian victory.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Victory

Capture of Damietta

November 5, 1219

Damietta, Nile Delta, Egypt

Commandant français John of Brienne (king of Jerusalem), Pelagius Galvani (papal legate)

Adversaire Ayyubid Sultanate of Egypt (Al-Kamil, nephew of Saladin)

On November 5, 1219, after sixteen months of grueling siege, the crusaders of the Fifth Crusade captured Damietta, a strategic citadel controlling access to the Nile delta and the road to Cairo. The final assault is led by John of Brienne, king of Jerusalem, and the papal legate Pelagius Galvani, at the head of a multinational army including large contingents of French, German, Italian and military orders. The city, defended by the Ayyubid garrison of Al-Kamil, succumbed after the crusaders pierced the fortifications and isolated the citadel. This victory represented the greatest military success of the Fifth Crusade, but proved short-lived as the Crusaders failed to exploit this position to threaten Cairo.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Victory

Battle of Taillebourg

1242-07-21

Taillebourg, Saintonge (today Charente-Maritime, France)

Commandant français Louis IX (Saint Louis)

Adversaire Henry III of England, Hugh de Lusignan

On July 21, 1242, Louis IX (Saint Louis) won a decisive victory on the Taillebourg bridge, on the Charente, against the army of Henry III of England and his revolting Poitevin allies led by Hugh X of Lusignan, Count of La Marche. The battle began when the French, having taken up position on the north bank of the bridge, repelled the English and Poitevin assaults. Louis IX, present in person, led a daring counterattack which crossed the bridge and broke through the enemy lines. The French cavalry, superior in discipline and equipment, caused the complete rout of the Allies, who retreated in disorder towards Saintes where they were defeated again two days later.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Battle of Mansoura

1250-02-08

Mansourah, Nile Delta (present-day Egypt)

Commandant français Louis IX

Adversaire Ayyubid forces led by Fakhr ad-Din (at first) then the Mamluks of Baybars

On February 8, 1250, the crusader army of Louis IX confronted the Ayyubid and Mamluk forces at Mansourah, a fortified city in the Nile delta. The battle began with a remarkable tactical success: the king's brother, Robert of Artois, crossed a ford of the Nile with the vanguard and surprised the Ayyubid camp, killing the commander Fakhr ad-Din. But this initial victory turned into disaster when Robert, disobeying orders, plunged into the narrow streets of Mansourah without waiting for the main body of the army. Baybars' Mamluks counterattack fiercely, trapping the French knights in an urban maze where their heavy cavalry loses all advantage. The Crusader army suffered catastrophic losses, including the death of Robert of Artois and many knights. Louis IX, arriving as reinforcement, managed to stabilize the situation but could not prevent the gradual encirclement of his army, a prelude to the final defeat of Fariskur.

Importance historique :

High Middle Ages

Defeat

Battle of Fariskur

1250-04-06

Fariskur, Nile Delta (present-day Egypt)

Commandant français Louis IX

Adversaire Mamluks of Egypt, notably Baybars and Qutuz

On April 6, 1250, the crusader army of Louis IX, retreating from Mansourah towards Damietta, was surrounded and annihilated at Fariskur by Mamluk forces. After two months of siege in front of Mansourah, decimated by fighting, epidemics and hunger, the crusader army tried to regain Damietta. But the retreat turned into a rout: harassed by the Mamluk cavalry, deprived of supplies, the army was surrounded at Fariskur. The crusaders, weakened and demoralized, attempted a last desperate breakthrough but failed. Louis IX, refusing to flee, surrendered with his surviving knights. It is the first and only time in French history that a Capetian king was taken prisoner on a battlefield. The king's captivity, his exorbitant ransom and the loss of Damietta mark the complete failure of the Seventh Crusade.

Importance historique :

Era timeline

1016

Battle of Pontlevoy

1016-07-06

Pontlevoy, Touraine (modern France)

Victory

1033

Battle of Moncontour

1033-10-18

Moncontour, Poitou (modern France)

Victory

1037

Battle of Bar-le-Duc

1037

Bar-le-Duc, Lorraine (modern France)

Defeat

1054

Battle of Mortemer

1054

Mortemer, Normandy (modern France)

Defeat

1057

Battle of Varaville

1057

Varaville, Normandy (modern France)

Defeat

1071

Battle of Cassel

1071-02-22

Cassel, Flanders (modern France)

Victory

1082

Battle of Saint-Gilles

1082

Saint-Gilles, Languedoc (modern France)

Victory

1097

Battle of Nicaea

1097-06-14

Nicaea (today İznik, Türkiye)

Victory

1097

Battle of Dorylaeum

1097-07-01

Dorylaeum (present-day Eskişehir, Türkiye)

Victory

1098

Battle of Antioch

1098-06-28

Antioch (now Antakya, Türkiye)

Victory

1099

Capture of Jerusalem

1099-07-15

Jerusalem

Victory

1099

Battle of Ascalon

1099-08-12

Ascalon (now Ashkelon, Israel)

Victory

1101

Battle of Heraclea

1101-08

Heraclea (Herakleia), Anatolia (present-day Türkiye)

Defeat

1101

Battle of Mersivan

1101-08

Mersivan (now Merzifon, Türkiye)

Defeat

1101

Battle of Ancyra

1101-09

Ancyra (now Ankara, Türkiye)

Defeat

1102

Battle of Ramla

1102-05

Ramla, kingdom of Jerusalem (present-day Israel)

Defeat

1104

Battle of Harran

1104-05-07

Harran, Upper Mesopotamia (present-day Türkiye/Syria)

Defeat

1105

Battle of Jaffa

1105-05-27

Jaffa, Kingdom of Jerusalem (present-day Israel)

Victory

1108

Battle of Tell Bashir

1108

Tell Bashir (today Tell Bāshir, Türkiye)

Defeat

1124

Siege and capture of Tire

1124-07-07

Tire (today Sur, Lebanon)

Victory

1129

Battle of Raphanie

1129-10

Raphanie (near Deraa, southern present-day Syria)

Defeat

1148

Battle of Mount Cadmus

1148-10

Mount Cadmus (near Denizli, Anatolia, present-day Türkiye)

Defeat

1148

Siege of Damascus

1148-07

Damascus, Syria

Defeat

1149

Battle of Inab

1149-06-29

Inab (today Syria, northwest of Aleppo)

Defeat

1157

Battle of Laodicea

1157-09

Laodicea-sur-Mer (today Latakia, Syria)

Defeat

1164

Battle of Harenc

1164-08

Harenc (near Aleppo, today Harim, Syria)

Defeat

1179

Battle of Verneuil

1179-08-17

Verneuil-sur-Avre, Normandy, France

Defeat

1187

Battle of Hattin

1187-07-04

Hill of Hattin, near Lake Tiberias (present-day Israel)

Defeat

1188

Battle of Soindres (Mantes)

1188-08-17

Soindres, near Mantes-la-Jolie, France

Victory

1189

Siege of Acre

1189-08 to 1191-07-12

Acre (now Akko, Israel)

Victory

1194

Battle of Fréteval

1194-07

Fréteval, France

Defeat

1198

Battle of Gisors

1198-09-27

Gisors, Normandy (France)

Defeat

1213

Battle of Damme

1213-05-30

Damme, near Bruges (present-day Belgium)

Victory

1214

Battle of Bouvines

1214-07-27

Bouvines, Flanders (today in the North, France)

Victory

1219

Capture of Damietta

November 5, 1219

Damietta, Nile Delta, Egypt

Victory

1242

Battle of Taillebourg

1242-07-21

Taillebourg, Saintonge (today Charente-Maritime, France)

Victory

1250

Battle of Mansoura

1250-02-08

Mansourah, Nile Delta (present-day Egypt)

Defeat

1250

Battle of Fariskur

1250-04-06

Fariskur, Nile Delta (present-day Egypt)

Defeat

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