Did the Mongol invasion of Europe interfere with any of the Crusades?

by CrimsonKing1029
galileosmiddlefinger

In a sense, yes. The Mongol invasion of Europe occurred late in Crusading history and contributed to the downfall of the Crusader States by shifting the dynamics of power in the Islamic world from Baghdad to Cairo. The Mongols sacked Baghdad, but the Mamluks of Egypt successfully resisted the Mongols at the Battle of 'Ayn Jalut in 1260 and extended control over modern Syria. The victorious general, Baybars, became Sultan of Egypt and strengthened the government, which had previously been fractured, weak, and of minimal threat to the Crusader States.

Baybars subsequently sacked many Christian towns and cities, including Antioch. By 1291, his successors in the Mamluk Sultanate had captured the entirety of the Crusader States established after the First Crusade, with the exception of Cyprus. Although many Christian rulers regretted the loss of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, there was little left to defend at this point. Simultaneously, much of the zeal for crusading in Europe was declining due to other problems at home in Europe, including a string of conflicts between kings and popes throughout the 14th century. Crusading continued, but more in the form of military campaigns with smaller-scale objectives, oftentimes within Europe itself, rather than attempts to conquer and hold new states in the east.

Sources: Asbridge, The Crusades ; Madden, The New Concise History of the Crusades