Kanna-sama: This was an easier term paper to do than the one from last year.

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Title: The Third Crusade

Rating: K

Genre: Essay

Summary: Complete. An essay on the Third Crusade and the powerful political figures involved.

Notes/Warnings: None.

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The Third Crusade

Following the deadly Battle of Hattin was a mere two year period of quietness in the Islam world. King Guy of the Latin Kingdom, held by Saladin, was unable to cause any mischief and was therefore banned from creating new issues with the Muslims. Despite this, however, in Europe plans were brewing. After three months, Henry II of England and Phillip Augustus of France met to decide the initial plan of the Third Crusade. Alas, Henry’s steadily “declining health” (Reston 112) eventually led to his death, but his successor, Richard II, more famously known as “Richard the Lionheart,” was as welcome to the idea of recapturing Jerusalem as the king of France. This led to a series of events, nearly all of which were conducted by Richard. Saladin, weary with the Crusaders, but determined to keep Jerusalem in his people’s hands, fought back just as viciously and heroically as his foe. If there had been any other leader of the Muslims, it was more than possible that Jerusalem may not have even been saved to begin with in the Second Crusade. Saladin’s generosity towards the Crusaders, his honor and respect to his people and the Frankish king, and the careful ways his brother, el Melek el-Adil, dealt with Richard were only a few benefits in his victory.

The Battle of Hattin was one of the events that led up to the eventual Third Crusade. King Guy’s careless actions caused the Crusaders’ defeat in this battle and was what allowed the Muslims to capture the Crusader castles, Latin cities (such as Jaffa,) and the recapture of Jerusalem. The Battle of Hattin was considered the deadliest of battles in the Second Crusade. After King Guy commanded camp to be set in the valley between the Horns of Hattin, it was obvious to his right-hand man, Raymond, how vulnerable their position was. When the camp awoke to the scorching heat of July, Saladin’s forces had them surrounded and set brush fires to cause a panic. The Crusaders were blinded and choked by the smoke of the fires as arrows descended upon them. The king raged through the chaos with a handful of men, towards the Muslims, and they split away from the Europeans, but returned to enclose them and hold the king from the men at the bottom of the hill. The only course of action was to surrender to Saladin and afterward, everything went towards the sultan’s favour. Having killed or taken hostage King Guy’s men, there were only a few Crusader knights left in the castles and cities of the Latin Kingdom. He swiftly captured each of these and then turned towards Jerusalem and took the golden city back to his hands. Many knights were sold into slavery and King Guy was held hostage until 1189 when he was released and began the siege of Acre.

The siege of Acre had, in fact, not been successful until Richard’s arrival. Nearly as soon as King Guy had been released from his imprisonment, he collected some men and began the siege. The king of France, Phillip Augustus, and the German king, Frederick Barbarossa, soon decided along with Richard the Lionheart to assist the king of the Latin Kingdom. However, while Barbarossa was marching towards Acre, “he drowned crossing a river.” (Morrison 2) The French king made it to Acre with his men, but even with his and King Guy’s army they could not bring Acre to its knees. At last, after Richard’s ships were drawn to Cyprus, where he paused in his journey to conquer the island, he arrived at Acre, and in only a short time was the city taken in by the Crusaders. Thereafter, Saladin and Richard organized a treaty where “Muslims would be allowed to leave unharmed if 1,500 Christian prisoners from the Second Crusade were released, the “true cross,” which had been captured at the Battle of Hattin was returned, and the payment of large sums of gold was given.” (Biel 99) Saladin more or less complied with these terms; however, he was unable to pay the full amount of gold that Richard had requested and the Frankish king “complained that no high-ranking lords were among those set free.” Because Saladin refused to relinquish any of the aristocrats Richard demanded, 2,500 Muslims were taken out onto the Plain outside Acre and were slaughtered before their own people. Saladin, who had allowed the Crusaders to leave with their possessions and without harm after conquering Jerusalem, found this outrageous and was more determined than ever to win his jihad, or holy war.

What was considered the “Second Battle of Hattin,” (Reston 211) or the Battle of Arsuf, was the worst defeat planted upon Saladin in the Third Crusade. Originally Richard was heading towards Jaffa, but was halted by Saladin’s forces thirty miles from the city. Having carefully analyzed the terrain around Jerusalem on maps and his own expeditions, Richard was able to “maintain his formation,” (Third 2) even as the Muslims’ attack compacted the Christian forces even more so than they already were. They were nearly suffocating in their heavy armor and the desert heat. The men in the rear, affected most by the tight space, grew more agitated as they were forced to remain in their formation. It was the strain on their emotions that caused them to explode from the formation and towards Muslims, startling them greatly. There was chaos as “Muslims fled and Christians pursued until to the Arsuf forest. Taki-el-Din, Saladin’s nephew, rallied brave Muslims and launched a last attack on the Crusaders. Richard was then forced to launch a second and a third attack as they continued to assault his men.” (Reston 211) The eventuality was Richard’s victory at Arsuf and Jaffa soon after.

Throughout all the bloody battles and tense negotiations, Saladin and Richard’s relationship was that of “mutual respect.” (Saladin 2) Saladin, who admired Richard’s military abilities, often sent gifts to the Frankish king as a sign of strange kindness towards his mortal enemy. At Arsuf, when Richard’s horse had fallen, “he sent two in replacement,” despite their oncoming defeat. During the time when both he and Richard were sick, they exchanged gifts of “medicine and fruit.” (Biel 104) They were equal in intelligence and military skills, but Saladin had more resources than Richard did. Since Richard and Phillip Augustus held a long hatred of each other, the French king had abandoned him shortly after the victorious siege at Acre and only a few handfuls of French Crusaders remained at his disposal. He was virtually alone, having more enemies than friends. Saladin, however, had the great cavernous resources of Egypt to dip into. Although it was true that Richard had once raided a large caravan of supplies coming from Egypt that would have been ample enough to capture Jerusalem, the Council of Crusader leaders had concluded that, “even if they were to recapture Jerusalem, they would not be able to hold it. Saladin could easily bring an army up from Egypt to recapture the city.” (Madden 91) It was then that the Council realized that if they refortified Ascalon, they had a chance of cutting off his supplies. With this sad conclusion, the Crusaders therein withdrew to Ascalon to start upon their plan. Meanwhile, Saladin’s brother, El Melek el-Adil, the Muslim envoy, was working out treaty suggestions with Richard.

El-Adil, although a Muslim and Saladin’s brother, held a warm friendship with the Frankish king. When he arrived at the Christian camp, Richard would receive him with good food and entertainment. Richard, so enamored of this infidel, proposed a plan of marriage between el-Adil and Richard’s own sister, Joanna. El-Adil went to his brother and the council with this proposal, solemn and willing. Uncertain of whether Richard had suggested the proposal in all seriousness, the council and Saladin agreed. The plan was for Joanna and el-Adil to be “joint rulers of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.” (Reston 232) As it happened, Joanna flatly refused to marry a Muslim, so unless he converted to Christianity, there would be no marriage between the two. Determined, Richard then offered his niece, who owned the estate of Brittany, but el-Adil “balked, having had his heart set on a Christian queen.” Seeing as how neither could be satisfied, the proposal was dropped from the leaders’ minds and forgotten. Richard became steadily more anxious to make a treaty after he received news that his brother, John, was scheming with Phillip Augustus to overthrow his throne. As Richard and Saladin were making peace agreements, the Muslim sultan suddenly “launched an attack on Jaffa.” (Konstam 128) Jaffa, one of what was considered the Christian’s most valued cities, withheld the Muslims attacks without Richard immediately needing to attend to the city. Saladin, seeing that there was no way he could possibly overthrow Jaffa, fled, and “offered no further military challenges.”

At last, in 1192, Saladin and Richard formed the Treaty of Ramla, with “very generous terms.” (Saladin 2) Saladin agreed to allow Christian pilgrims in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth and recognized Christian rule of all the coastal cities from Tyre to Jaffa. Everyone involved in the Crusade was relieved that the jihad was concluded, their patience and stamina having been drawn to nothing.

Subsequently, Saladin’s victory in the Third Crusade could be determined not only by his personality traits, but also his immense resources. He and his brother respected Richard and the West revered the sultan as a Muslim legend. He inspired his men throughout the Crusade and to keep control of Jerusalem, their golden, holy city. His chivalry and intelligent military skills allowed him some ease throughout the battles in the Third Crusade and perhaps it was mere fate that allowed the Muslims to keep Jerusalem in their possession. Indeed, Saladin was one of the most generous men of his time. When he died, he had near to no money left, having given it to all of his loyal Muslim subjects.

Works Cited

Biel, Timothy Levi. “The Crusades.” Lucent Books, Inc.

San Diego: 1995

Konstam, Angus. “Historical Atlas of the Crusades.” Thalamus Publishing

New York: 2002

Madden, Thomas F. (Ed.) “Crusades: The Illustrated History.” Duncan Laird Publishers Ltd.

United Kingdom: 2004

Morrison, Nick. “The unholy legacy of the Crusades.” Northern Echo. 30 April 2005

Reston, James (Jr.) “Warriors of God.” Random House, Inc.

New York: 2001

Saladin. en./wiki/Saladin 6 May 2006

Third Crusade. en./wiki/ThirdCrusade 6 May 2006