Albigensian Crusade

As the flames of the Albigensian heresy continued to flicker in southern France, Pope Innocent III took a bold step by declaring the campaign against the heretics a Crusade. This marked a significant departure from traditional crusades that primarily targeted Muslims in the Holy Land. The Albigensian Crusade, bestowed with official Crusade status, allowed the allocation of Church funds for its execution. Those who joined the cause were promised redemption of their sins—a familiar incentive seen in the Crusades to the Holy Land.Remarkably, the Albigensian Crusade became the first of its kind, specifically targeting fellow Christians rather than Muslims. This departure from tradition was notable, especially considering that a prior crusade, the Fourth Crusade (1202-04 CE), had veered off course, leading to the sacking of Christian Constantinople. Pope Innocent III's call for an international force of warriors to combat heresy was unprecedented, as previous attacks on heretics had been confined to local efforts. The seeds of this idea took root through figures like Saint Mary of Oignies, who claimed to have received a vision from Jesus Christ expressing concern about the heresy in southern France. Saint Mary even ventured to the region herself, advocating for decisive action.The success of the crusade hinged not only on ecclesiastical arguments but also on gaining political support. In response to Innocent III's appeal and the excommunication of Count Raymond VI of Toulouse, the French king, Philip II, and his son, the future Louis VIII, threw their support behind the campaign. For them, it presented an opportunity to extend the crown's influence over southern France, a region that leaned more towards the kingdoms of eastern Spain. While the Cathars were concentrated in a small area, the religious justification for the campaigns served as a convenient pretext for advancing the kingdom of France and securing direct access to the Mediterranean.The charge against the heretics was led by seasoned campaigner Simon IV de Montfort, a figure with prior successes in the region. Responding to the call, an army was assembled in 1209 CE, with the backing of the Church and Crown. To fund the campaign, taxes were raised in northern and central France, and an array of leaders, including Simon IV de Montfort and Leopold VI, Duke of Austria, joined the cause. Despite the French king's preoccupation with the rivalry with King John of England, a royal contingent was supplied to reinforce the ranks.

As the Crusader army embarked on its journey from Lyons down the Rhône River in July 1209 CE, an unexpected twist unfolded. Raymond of Toulouse, ostensibly the face of the opposition, initiated negotiations with the Pope. Following a penance and ceding some territory, Raymond joined forces with the Crusaders. The initial target shifted from Toulouse to the region around Albi, controlled by Raymond Roger Trencavel, a strategic move considering the concentration of heretics in his lands. Leading the Crusaders was Simon IV de Montfort, a seasoned commander with prior successes in the region and now backed by the Church for his ambitious conquest.The campaign unfolded amid the complex political landscape of southern lords characterized by weak unity and a tradition of staunch independence. The Crusader army, despite facing challenges in retaining soldiers in the field, secured victories due to internal divisions among the southern lords. Local militias, including the White Confraternity against the heretics and the Black Confraternity supporting local barons, played a role in the conflict.The turning point came with the abandonment of Béziers by Raymond Roger Trencavel on July 21, 1209 CE. The ensuing siege, marked by the ruthless sacking of the city, revealed the true nature of the campaign. Approximately 10,000 inhabitants, regardless of their affiliation with heresy, were mercilessly slaughtered. This massacre sent shockwaves through the region, leading to immediate surrenders and mass migrations to escape the imminent threat of Crusader attacks.
The conflict unfolded sporadically and brutally, characterized by lengthy sieges exacerbated by Simon de Montfort's financial constraints. The capture of Lavaur in 1211 CE witnessed more atrocities, including hangings, drownings, and burnings of heretics. The entire region descended into a perpetual war zone, with the collapse of law and social order. As the crisis deepened, Raymond of Toulouse, initially allied with the Crusaders, reverted to independence in 1211 CE.Following the defeat of a Toulouse-Foix army at Castelnaudary in September 1211 CE, De Montfort extended his control over large areas in 1212 CE. Raymond of Toulouse sought refuge in England, while guerrilla warfare spread throughout the south. The ongoing massacres prompted the Pope to revoke the Crusade status, only to reinstate it sporadically over the next 15 years. The turmoil attracted foreign kings, including the King of Aragon and King John of England, eyeing the available lands. The year 1214 CE marked a critical juncture as external powers began to take an interest in the unfolding chaos

By the year 1215 CE, the conquest of the County of Toulouse and the Pyrenean counties was seemingly complete. Crown Prince Louis, son of Philip II, even embarked on a tour with his army, encountering no significant battles. However, the tranquility was short-lived as a local fightback ensued, aided by the return of Raymond to his stronghold at Toulouse in 1217 CE. The death of Simon de Montfort during the siege of Toulouse in June 1218 CE dealt a blow to the Crusade, with Louis inheriting De Montfort's territorial claims.The conflict persisted at a local level, primarily involving allies of Toulouse and barons who had acquired lands from De Montfort. Raymond of Toulouse's death in 1222 CE marked a turning point, with his son Raymond VII reclaiming his father's lands, including Carcassonne in 1224 CE. Louis, now King Louis VIII, was resolute in expanding his kingdom. Backed by Pope Honorius III, another crusade was launched, resulting in the siege and capture of Avignon in the summer of 1226 CE. Most Languedoc lords swore homage to the king, but Raymond VII resisted. Tragically, Louis VIII succumbed to dysentery upon returning to Paris in November 1226 CE.Louis IX, the new king of France, emerged as one of the most dedicated medieval Crusader kings. A series of victories in the following years led to Raymond VII of Toulouse agreeing to terms of surrender. The Albigensian Crusade reached its culmination with the Treaty of Paris in 1229 CE, firmly integrating the Languedoc region into the Kingdom of France.

The campaigns had a profound impact on the wealth and power of the Languedoc nobility. In 1249 CE, Alphonse of Poitiers, brother of Louis IX, inherited Raymond VII's estates, completing the reshaping of the royal political map. While the Cathars persisted, their churches and institutions operated on a reduced scale. The launch of the Inquisition in 1229 CE aimed at conversion through argument, leading to the establishment of a university in Toulouse. Despite a slower intellectual approach, the Cathars ceased to exist as an organized and distinct body of believers by the first quarter of the 14th century CE.
Reflecting the complexity of the Albigensian Crusade and the uncomfortable reality of Christians fighting Christians, popular songs from the period criticized the Popes for granting Crusade status and remission of sins. Some historical myth-making and nostalgia have developed, with southern French people using the episode to assert cultural independence from an overbearing northern France. The heretics themselves, with their vegetarianism and improved roles for women, may appeal to the modern mind, but it's essential to acknowledge the atrocities and bigotry on both sides during the Crusade. This episode marked the beginning of a lamentable trend in Western Christians fighting each other, a phenomenon that would plague European politics and society for centuries.