Today in History: Emperor Frederick II Completes the Sixth Crusade

On this day (February Eighteen) in 1229 Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II completed his crusading vows without military engagement by signing a ten-year truce with al-Kamil which guaranteed access to Jerusalem, Nazareth and Bethlehem. Frederick had made the vow when quite young but circumstance had prevented him from fulfilling it for years. The pope, with whom he had political difficulties, excommunicated him for not going on crusade. Then when he did go on crusade, the pope denounced Frederick for crusading while being excommunicated. It must have been particularly galling for Frederick’s enemies that his crusade was one of the most successful of them.