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A storm sank the French fleet, trapping King Louis IX in the muddy streets of Da
1250 Event

April 13

Louis IX Captured in Egypt: The Seventh Crusade Ends in Defeat

A storm sank the French fleet, trapping King Louis IX in the muddy streets of Damietta while his soldiers starved. He didn't just lose; he paid a massive ransom for his life and twenty-four thousand lives lost to disease or battle. That cash drained France dry for decades, yet it sparked a strange shift: crusaders began learning from their enemies instead of just attacking them. Next time you hear "Crusades," remember that sometimes the only way forward was to pay the guy you're fighting.

April 13, 1250

776 years ago

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