Editing Albigensian Crusade (section)

====Lastours and the castle of Cabaret====
[[File:cathars expelled.JPG|thumb|Cathars being expelled from Carcassonne in 1209]]
The next battle centred around [[Lastours]] and the adjacent castle of Cabaret. Attacked in December 1209, [[Pierre Roger de Cabaret]] repulsed the assault.{{sfn|Peter of les Vaux de Cernay|1998|p=114}} Fighting largely halted over the winter. Due to harsh weather conditions and a small number of soldiers, Simon ceased major offensives and concentrated on holding the territory that he had already won. However, fresh Crusaders eventually arrived.{{sfn|Peter of les Vaux de Cernay|1998|pp=115–140}}{{sfn|Marvin|2008|p=74}} In March 1210, [[Bram, Aude|Bram]] was captured after a short siege.{{sfn|Peter of les Vaux de Cernay|1998|p=142}}

In June, the well-fortified city of [[Minerve, Hérault|Minerve]] was [[Siege of Minerve|besieged]].{{sfn|Peter of les Vaux de Cernay|1998|p=151}} The city was not of major strategic importance. Simon's decision to attack it was probably influenced by the large number of perfects who had gathered there. Unable to take the town by storm because of the surrounding geography,{{sfn|Marvin|2008|p=77}} Simon launched a heavy bombardment against the town, and in late June the main well was destroyed and on 22 July, the city, short on water, surrendered.{{sfn|Peter of les Vaux de Cernay|1998|p=154}} Simon wished to treat the occupants leniently, but was pressured by Arnaud Amalric to punish the Cathars. The Crusaders allowed the soldiers defending the town as well as the Catholics inside of it to go free, along with the non-perfect Cathars. The Cathar perfects were given the opportunity to return to Catholicism.{{sfn|Strayer|1971|p=71}}

Simon and many of his soldiers made determined efforts to convert the Cathar perfects but failed.{{sfn|Sismondi|1973|pp=64–65}} Ultimately, only three women recanted.{{sfn|Strayer|1971|p=71}} The 140 who refused were burned at the stake. Some entered the flames voluntarily, not awaiting their executioners.{{sfn|Peter of les Vaux de Cernay|1998|p=156}} In August, the Crusade proceeded to the stronghold of [[Château de Termes|Termes]].{{sfn|Peter of les Vaux de Cernay|1998|p=168}} Despite sallies from Pierre-Roger de Cabaret, the siege was solid.{{sfn|Costen|1997|p=132}} The occupants of Termes suffered from a shortage of water, and Ramon (Raymond) de Termes agreed to a temporary truce. The Cathars were briefly relieved by an intense rainstorm and so Raymond refused to surrender.{{sfn|Peter of les Vaux de Cernay|1998|pp=182–185}} Ultimately, the defenders were not able to break the siege and on 22 November the Cathars managed to abandon the city and escape.{{sfn|Costen|1997|p=132}}

By the time operations resumed in 1211, the actions of Arnaud-Amaury and Simon de Montfort had alienated several important lords, including Raymond de Toulouse, who had been excommunicated again.{{sfn|Peter of les Vaux de Cernay|1998|p=194}} The Crusaders returned in force to Lastours in March and Pierre-Roger de Cabaret soon agreed to surrender.{{sfn|Peter of les Vaux de Cernay|1998|p=215}} In April, 1211, de Montfort laid siege to Lavaur. As the siege continued, fresh troops, arriving from all over Europe, were sent to Lavaur. On the way, while passing the crossroads of Auvezines, in the village of [[Montgey]], they were ambushed by troops sent out from Toulouse and led by [[Raymond-Roger, Count of Foix]] and his son [[Roger-Bernard II, Count of Foix|Roger-Bernard]]. Many citizens, Catholic and Cathar, and the local peasantry had joined them for the battle. All but one of the six thousand crusaders were killed in the battle.{{sfn|Taylor|2018|p=16}}

In May the castle of Aimery de Montréal was retaken; he and his senior knights were hanged, and several hundred Cathars were burned.{{sfn|Peter of les Vaux de Cernay|1998|p=215}} [[Cassès]] fell easily in early June.{{sfn|Peter of les Vaux de Cernay|1998|p=233}} Afterwards, Simon marched towards [[Montferrand, Aude|Montferrand]], where Raymond of Toulouse had placed his brother, Baldwin, in command. After a short siege, Baldwin signed an agreement to abandon the fort in return for swearing an oath to go free and to not fight again against the Crusaders. Baldwin briefly returned to Raymond, but afterwards defected to the Crusaders and remained loyal to them thereafter.{{sfn|Peter of les Vaux de Cernay|1998|pp=235–236}} After taking Montferrand, the Crusaders headed for Toulouse.{{sfn|Peter of les Vaux de Cernay|1998|p=239}} The town was besieged but the attackers were short of supplies and men; Simon de Montfort withdrew before the end of the month.{{sfn|Peter of les Vaux de Cernay|1998|p=243}} Emboldened, Raymond de Toulouse led a force to attack Montfort at Castelnaudary in September.{{sfn|Peter of les Vaux de Cernay|1998|pp=253–265}} A force of Crusaders arrived to relieve Montfort and just barely beat back a counterattack by Occitan forces under Raymond-Roger. Montfort broke free from the siege and Raymond was forced to withdraw.{{sfn|Peter of les Vaux de Cernay|1998|pp=273–276, 279}}{{sfn|Strayer|1971|p=83}}{{sfn|Peter of les Vaux de Cernay|1998|pp=286–366}} In early 1212, Simon worked on encircling Toulouse. He was successful through a combination of rapid military movements and his policy of quickly getting towns to surrender in exchange for not being sacked. The encirclement of Toulouse restricted Raymond's communication with his allies in Aquitaine and the Pyrenees. He faced a shortage of income and increasingly disloyal vassals.{{sfn|Strayer|1971|pp=84–85}}