Death of al-Kamil; Ayyubid empire split between his sons.
1239
1 September
Arrival of king of Navarra with 1,500 knights; start of the ‘Barons’ Crusade’.
13 November
A portion of this army badly defeated at Gaza, with many important lords taken captive;
7 December
Frederick II’s truce expires; Jerusalem, being defenceless, surrenders to Muslim forces from Kerak und al-Nasr.
1240
Spring
Taking advantage of infighting between the Ayyubids, Navarra negotiates a treaty that restores Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Galilee and key castles;
September
Navarre departs from Acre; Simon de Montfort arrives;
8 October
Richard, Earl of Cornwall and brother of Henry III, arrives in Acre; completes negotiations with Ayyubids;
6 December
Kiev falls to the Mongols.
1241
8 February
Cornwall signs truce with the sultan of Egypt;
9 April
Mongols obliterate a German army at Leignitz;
23 April
Cornwall obtains release of key prisoners;
3 May
English crusaders under Cornwall depart the Holy Land;
June
Ibelin faction propose Simon de Montfort as a compromise candidate to Filangieri as baillie of Jerusalem; Frederick II rejects the proposal.
1243
26 June
Mongols crush a Seljuk army at the Battle of Kosedag; establish control of Muslim Anatolia, Armenia and Georgia;
