Andrew II of Hungary - The Fifth Crusade

The Fifth Crusade

In the meantime, Andrew began to deal with the problems of the southern borders of his kingdom. In 1214, the Hungarian troops annexed Belgrade and Braničevo from the Bulgarian Empire.

In February 1215, Andrew married Yolanda, the niece of Henry I, the Emperor of Constantinople. When the Emperor Henry I died on 11 July 1216, Andrew was planning to acquire the imperial throne, but the barons of the Latin Empire proclaimed his father-in-law, Peter of Courtenay their emperor.

Nevertheless, Andrew decided to fulfill his father's oath and made preparations for a Crusade. He agreed with the Republic of Venice to undertake the delivery of his troops to the Holy Land, in exchange he renounced the supremacy over Zára (Zadar) on behalf of the Republic. Andrew and his troops embarked on 23 August 1217 in Spalato (Split). Before his departure from the city of Split, he had made over to the Templars the Castle of Klis, a strategic point in the hinterland of Split which controlled the approaches to the town. Andrew appointed Pontius de Cruce, Master of the Order in the Hungarian Kingdom, as a regent in Croatia and Dalmatia. They landed on 9 October on Cyprus from where they sailed to Acre. The well-mounted army defeated sultan Al-Adil I (Sultan of Egypt) in Bethsaida at Jordan River on 10 November. Muslim forces retreated in their fortress and towns. The catapults and trebuchets didn't arrive on time, so he had fruitless assaults on the fortresses of the Lebanon and on Mount Tabor. Afterwards, Andrew spent his time collecting alleged relics.

Andrew set home on (18 January 1218). On the way home, he negotiated with King Levon I of Armenia, the Emperor Theodore I Laskaris of Nicaea and Tsar Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria and arranged several marriage contracts between his children and the courts he visited. When he was staying in Nicaea, his cousins, who had been living there, made an unsuccessful attempt to take his life.

When King Andrew II, having fulfilled his Crusader vow, took his troops northward, he proceeded through Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. There King Andrew II arranged a marriage between his son, Andrew, and Levon's daughter, Isabelle.