The Ninth CrusadeA religious war fought by European Christians who traveled to the Middle East to capture the Holy Land from Muslim control., led by Lord Edward of England (later King Edward I) in 1271 CE, was the final major Crusader effort in the Holy Land. Although he achieved some minor victories and negotiated trucesAn agreement between two enemies to stop fighting for a period of time., the campaign lacked strong support and failed to make lasting gains. The Ninth Crusade ended in 1272, marking the gradual end of the Crusader presence in the region.
FactsthatCrunchWhat Were the Crusades?
The Crusades are one of the most significant events in the history of Europe and the Middle East. They were a series of religious wars carried out by Christian crusaders from Europe during the timeframe of the Middle Ages. Beginning in 1095 CE, the Crusades saw European knights and noblemen travel to the Middle East in an attempt to capture the Holy Land away from Muslim people that had controlled the region for the previous centuries. The term crusade means ‘cross’. Therefore, the Europeans that became crusaders viewed themselves as ‘taking up the cross’. In fact, many of the crusaders wore crosses on their clothing and armor as they made their pilgrimageA journey made to a holy or sacred place for religious reasons. to the Holy Land. This article details the events of the Ninth Crusade.  Click here to read more information about the other major Crusades.
Ninth Crusade – When and Why Did It Occur?
The Ninth Crusade took place from 1271 until 1272 CE and was one of the last major events in the history of the Crusades, which was a significant event in the Middle Ages. In general, the Ninth Crusade was a continuation of the Eighth Crusade, as the Ninth Crusade occurred immediately following the Eighth.​
The Eighth Crusade took place in 1270 CE and saw King Louis IX of France lead an army of crusaders from Europe to Tunis. The goal of Louis IX in the Eighth Crusade was to attack the city of Tunis, which is located in Northern Africa and is the capital city of the modern country of Tunisia. However, the Eighth Crusade was a massive failure and did not result in any gains for the European crusaders. As well, the Eighth Crusade effectively ended with the death of King Louis IX from dysenteryA serious and often deadly illness involving severe digestive infection, which spread among the French crusaders..​
FactsthatCrunchBoth events happened within months of each other in 1270 and 1271. Lord Edward of England had left Dover on August 20th, 1270 to join King Louis IX of France at Tunis. When he arrived on November 10th, 1270, Louis IX was already dead from dysentery and the Eighth Crusade was over. Rather than sail home with the other crusaders, Edward continued on to the Holy Land, and his arrival at Acre on May 9th, 1271 directly became the Ninth Crusade.
The two crusades are so closely linked that the Ninth Crusade is best understood not as a separate decision but as the continuation of a campaign that the Eighth Crusade left unfinished.
Ninth Crusade – Major Events
As stated above, the Ninth Crusade occurred immediately following the end of the Eighth Crusade. In fact, the Ninth Crusade was carried out by Lord Edward of England who later became King Edward I of England. Lord Edward was inspired to fight in the Eighth Crusade and ‘took the cross’ on June 24th in 1268. Lord Edward left Dover, England by ship on August 20th in 1270, with the intent of meeting the French King, Louis IX at Tunis. However, when Lord Edward arrived in Tunis on November 10th, he realized that the Eighth Crusade was over. As stated above, this was caused by the death of Louis IX in August of 1270 due to the spread of disease throughout the ranks of the French crusaders. Following the death of Louis IX, most of the crusaders from the Eighth Crusade returned home to Europe, but Lord Edward instead opted to continue his travels and made his way to the Holy Land. His continued journey to the Holy Land ultimately resulted in the Ninth Crusade.​
Lord Edward and the crusader forces loyal to him arrived at Acre on May 9th in 1271. Acre had long been a Christian strongholdA place that is heavily defended and held securely by one side in a conflict. during the two centuries of the Crusades. In fact it was first established as a ‘Crusader State’ in the First Crusade, which took place from 1096 to 1099 CE. At the time, the Muslim forces were threatening these Christian held lands and Lord Edward wanted to assist. When Lord Edward arrived in Acre, he brought with him a relatively modest fighting force of 1,000 crusaders including 225 knights.​
Lord Edward’s arrival in Acre was significant, as it helped force some of the Muslim forces to temporarily retreat from the region. In the months that followed, Lord Edward and his forces carried out a series of raids against the local Muslims and achieved some considerable victories. They even helped to stop an attack against the city of Acre in December of 1271. Furthermore, during this time period, Lord Edward had formed an alliance with a Mongol Army that aided in attacking and raiding the Muslim forces. Following a naval victory against the Muslims, Lord Edward began negotiating a truce with the Muslim Army as a means of protecting Christian-held territory in the Holy Land. The truce was finally reached in May of 1272, and just a month later, Lord Edward narrowly survived an assassination attempt against his life. This, along with the news of the death of his father and son caused him to return home to England. Edward arrived home and was crowned the new King of England on August 19th in 1274.
​Since Lord Edward was the central figure of the Ninth Crusade, it is also sometimes referred to as ‘Lord Edward’s Crusade’. The Ninth Crusade was the last major crusade in the two-century history of the Crusades, and saw the last time a European force travelled to fight in the Holy Land. While there were calls for more crusades after the events of the Ninth Crusade, these were never realized, and European Christians slowly lost control over the Holy Land. Finally, in 1291, the Muslim forces carried out a siegeA military strategy of surrounding a city or fortress to cut off supplies and force it to surrender. against Acre, the last remaining Crusader StateA territory in the Holy Land captured and controlled by European crusaders during the Crusades.. The Muslim forces quickly captured the city and effectively ended the era of Christian-held territory in the Holy Land. Some remaining Christians and supporters of the Christian cause carried out fighting until approximately 1303, when they were finally defeated.
FactsthatCrunchNinth Crusade – Significance
With the end of the Ninth Crusade, the Crusades were finally over as a historical event. As a result, the Ninth Crusade is considered to be significant today due to it being the end of a major historical event in relation to the overall Crusades and Middle Ages.
FactsthatCrunchBy 1291 CE, nearly two decades had passed since the Ninth Crusade ended and Lord Edward's truce bought Acre a few more years of survival. Muslim forces surrounded the city, the last remaining Crusader State in the Holy Land, and launched a full siege against it. The Christians inside had no major European army coming to their relief.
Explore Crusades · 1095 – 1291 CE
Keep exploring Crusades with these History Crunch resources.
Key Vocabulary
Crusade
Pilgrimage
Stronghold
Truce
Crusader State
Siege
Dysentery
Frequently Asked Questions
Who led the Ninth Crusade?
The Ninth Crusade was led by Lord Edward of England, who later became King Edward I. He had taken the cross in 1268 and set out to join King Louis IX of France. Because he was the central figure, the campaign is sometimes called Lord Edward’s Crusade.
When did the Ninth Crusade take place?
The Ninth Crusade took place from 1271 to 1272 CE. It began when Lord Edward arrived at Acre on May 9th, 1271. The campaign ended after a truce was reached in May of 1272.
How was the Ninth Crusade connected to the Eighth Crusade?
The Ninth Crusade was a direct continuation of the Eighth Crusade, which failed in 1270 CE. Lord Edward had set out to join King Louis IX of France at Tunis. When he arrived, Louis IX had died of disease and the Eighth Crusade was over. Edward chose to continue on to the Holy Land instead of going home.
Did the Ninth Crusade succeed?
The Ninth Crusade won some minor victories but failed to make lasting gains. Lord Edward’s small force of about 1,000 crusaders helped defend Acre and raided Muslim forces. He even formed an alliance with a Mongol army. In the end he only secured a truce before returning home to England.
Why is the Ninth Crusade important?
The Ninth Crusade matters because it was the last major crusade in the two-century history of the Crusades. It marked the final time a European force traveled to fight in the Holy Land. After it ended, Christians slowly lost control of the region. The last Crusader State, Acre, fell to Muslim forces in 1291.
What happened to Lord Edward after the Ninth Crusade?
Lord Edward narrowly survived an assassination attempt in June of 1272, just after the truce. News of the deaths of his father and son also reached him. These events led him to return home to England. He was crowned King Edward I on August 19th, 1274.
Cite This Article
To cite this article as a source, use one of the formats below.
MLA: Beck, Elias. “Ninth Crusade: A Detailed Summary.” HistoryCrunch, 18 October 2026, https://historycrunch.com/ninth-crusade/.
APA: Beck, E. (2026). Ninth Crusade: A Detailed Summary. HistoryCrunch. https://historycrunch.com/ninth-crusade/
Chicago: Beck, Elias. “Ninth Crusade: A Detailed Summary.” HistoryCrunch. October 18, 2026. https://historycrunch.com/ninth-crusade/
Sources
- Fordham Medieval Sourcebook
- Christopher Tyerman, God's War: A New History of the Crusades.
