1270

1270 was a common year in the 13th century. In Europe, the year is best remembered for the conclusion of the Eighth Crusade, led by King Louis IX of France. The expedition aimed at the Hafsid monarchy in Ifriqiya (modern Tunisia) landed near Tunis in 1270. Louis IX died there on 25 August 1270, and his death led to the rapid departure of remaining forces. His son, Philip III, succeeded to the French throne later in the year, continuing Capetian rule in France.

The death of Louis IX had significant political repercussions for the French crown and the broader crusading movement, as the attempt to establish a stable Christian foothold in North Africa faltered and the initiative diminished. At the same time, Mediterranean power dynamics shifted as Muslim states, notably the Mamluks in Egypt and local dynasties in Ifriqiya, maintained pressure on Crusader holdings in the Levant.

Elsewhere in Eurasia, the period was characterized by the continuing consolidation of Mongol-ruled polities and their interactions with neighboring kingdoms, though these dynamics varied regionally. The year thus marks a turning point in late-13th-century cross-Mediterranean politics, with the French crown entering a new phase under Philip III.

Deaths: Louis IX of France.