The Third Crusade in 1189 was caused by a reaction from the Christian community to a new Islamic force, the Fatamid Egyptians, led by Sultan al-Malik al-Nasir Salah ed-Din Yusuf, commonly known as Saladin. In 1187, Saladin united Islamic Syrians under his leadership and led the Syrians and the Egyptians to conquer the Christian Syrian cities. They were successful and Jerusalem was taken after a short siege. The Christian army was severely defeated and their king was captured.
European Christians amassed once more under Pope Gregory VII in favour of a third Crusade. Among leaders for this Crusade were the most powerful rulers of Europe: Richard I of England (dubbed "the Lionheart"); King Philip Augustus of France; and Frederick Barbarossa of Germany. Richard the Lionheart collected wages for the Crusade by tax and the persecution of Jews.
Like in the previous Crusades, the Christian troops faced hardships on the journey to Jerusalem. In Asia Minor many German soldiers were lost to disease, starvation and skirmishes with Turkish tribes. Anticlimactically for the German Crusaders, Frederick Barbarossa, according to most accounts, drowned while trying to bathe in a river at around the age of seventy. The surviving portent of his army was yet again diminished as some soldiers, demoralized by the loss of their leader, returned to Germany.
The Crusaders fought their first battle against Acre, which was already under assault by Christian troops. They arrived by sea on June 8, 1191, and held siege against Acre. The siege was short, and fell a month later on July 12th. Although the success was easy, the effect was ruined as Richard I, Philip and Leopold V of Austria (who ruled as Barbarossa's successor) quarreled over the spoils. Leopold and his men deserted the cause when he was denied the amount he thought due; Philip, due to poor health, also retreated, leaving behind 10,000 French soldiers. It was during this period that Saladin negotiated for the return of his soldiers and their families in return for peace and Richard's soldiers in captivity. However, Richard thought him tardy in fulfilling his part of the deal and decapitated his entire garrison in front of Saladin's army. Saladin responded by acting likewise to the Crusaders he had taken prisoner.
Richard the Lionheart, as the sole and only remaining leader of the Crusades, led his men to Jaffa which he intended to be a strategic base from which to conquer Jerusalem. In September of the same year, however, Saladin met Richard's troops 30 miles outside Jerusalem in Arsuf. The battle was close–Saladin hoped to break Richard's defense, and the Crusaders remained in defense until the Knights of Hospitaller (a religious military organization) broke Saladin's right wing. The Christians, now in offense, defeated Saladin's force and successfully conquered Jaffa.
From the conquer of Jaffa onwards was a series of battles and negotiations between Richard and Saladin, which included Richard's attempt to marry his sister Joan to Al-Adil, Saladin's brother. There were a few months of peace, even an event where Saladin sent Richard fruit and snow for his fever. Richard also rebuilt Ascalon, which Saladin had ravaged, and advanced towards Jerusalem in November. In July of 1192, Saladin retook Jaffa. This caused the final Battle of Jaffa, where Richard retook Jaffa by a superior navy.
Saladin negotiated with Richard, and the two decided that the area would remain under Muslim rule, but Christians may come as they please on pilgrimages. Although there was no decisive victory, the Third Crusade was seen as important as it radically changed the Crusades by making Egypt one of its targets.
European Christians amassed once more under Pope Gregory VII in favour of a third Crusade. Among leaders for this Crusade were the most powerful rulers of Europe: Richard I of England (dubbed "the Lionheart"); King Philip Augustus of France; and Frederick Barbarossa of Germany. Richard the Lionheart collected wages for the Crusade by tax and the persecution of Jews.
Like in the previous Crusades, the Christian troops faced hardships on the journey to Jerusalem. In Asia Minor many German soldiers were lost to disease, starvation and skirmishes with Turkish tribes. Anticlimactically for the German Crusaders, Frederick Barbarossa, according to most accounts, drowned while trying to bathe in a river at around the age of seventy. The surviving portent of his army was yet again diminished as some soldiers, demoralized by the loss of their leader, returned to Germany.
The Crusaders fought their first battle against Acre, which was already under assault by Christian troops. They arrived by sea on June 8, 1191, and held siege against Acre. The siege was short, and fell a month later on July 12th. Although the success was easy, the effect was ruined as Richard I, Philip and Leopold V of Austria (who ruled as Barbarossa's successor) quarreled over the spoils. Leopold and his men deserted the cause when he was denied the amount he thought due; Philip, due to poor health, also retreated, leaving behind 10,000 French soldiers. It was during this period that Saladin negotiated for the return of his soldiers and their families in return for peace and Richard's soldiers in captivity. However, Richard thought him tardy in fulfilling his part of the deal and decapitated his entire garrison in front of Saladin's army. Saladin responded by acting likewise to the Crusaders he had taken prisoner.
Richard the Lionheart, as the sole and only remaining leader of the Crusades, led his men to Jaffa which he intended to be a strategic base from which to conquer Jerusalem. In September of the same year, however, Saladin met Richard's troops 30 miles outside Jerusalem in Arsuf. The battle was close–Saladin hoped to break Richard's defense, and the Crusaders remained in defense until the Knights of Hospitaller (a religious military organization) broke Saladin's right wing. The Christians, now in offense, defeated Saladin's force and successfully conquered Jaffa.
From the conquer of Jaffa onwards was a series of battles and negotiations between Richard and Saladin, which included Richard's attempt to marry his sister Joan to Al-Adil, Saladin's brother. There were a few months of peace, even an event where Saladin sent Richard fruit and snow for his fever. Richard also rebuilt Ascalon, which Saladin had ravaged, and advanced towards Jerusalem in November. In July of 1192, Saladin retook Jaffa. This caused the final Battle of Jaffa, where Richard retook Jaffa by a superior navy.
Saladin negotiated with Richard, and the two decided that the area would remain under Muslim rule, but Christians may come as they please on pilgrimages. Although there was no decisive victory, the Third Crusade was seen as important as it radically changed the Crusades by making Egypt one of its targets.