The Sicilian Vespers becomes a Mediterranean power struggle

The War of the Sicilian Vespers continues into the next century because France, the papacy, Aragon, and Genoa all have stakes in the struggle for Sicily. Family honor commits Philip III and Philip IV to recovering the island for Charles, while the papacy has its own prestige invested in its grant and declares a crusade against Aragon. Diplomatic missions carry the dispute across Europe until most Mediterranean powers are involved. The Mamluks remain outside that contest, concentrating on the destruction of the crusader states. Western rulers are deeply engaged in Mediterranean politics while offering the Latin East no effective reinforcement.