Battles Behind the Songs
Lady Ailith Bystoune

Third Crusade
1189-1192 Led by Richard I of England AKA Richard Lionheart against Saladin, Sultan of Egypt and Syria. 

The Second Crusade, 1145-1149, which began in response to the fall of the European County of Edessa, was an almost total failure for the Europeans (they did succeed in expelling the Moores from Lisbon, Portugal). After the Second Crusade, Saladin was able to consolidate power in Egypt and Syria and after the Battle of Hattin (1187) he moved to lay siege on Jerusalem and captured the city leaving only Tyre (in modern-day Lebanon) under Crusader control. Guy of Lusignan had claim to the crown of Jerusalem through marriage to Sibylla of Jerusalem (Richard’s cousin) and having lost his Kingdom, he laid siege to Acre (in modern-day Israel, near Haifa) and called for help. His call was answered by Henry II of England, Philip II of France, and Frederick Barbarossa, Holy Roman Emperor. Frederick was elderly and marched his army through Anatolia (modern-day Turkey), but drowned in river in 1190 before reaching the Holy Land - after his death, most of his troops returned to Europe. Henry died in 1189 before the crusade and was succeeded by Richard who led the English forces. 

In July of 1190, Richard and Philip set out together with their armies from Marseille, France. Their first stop was Sicily. Richard’s sister, Joan of England AKA Johanna, had been married to William II of Sicily who had died earlier in the year. After William’s death, Tancred of Lecce was crowned Tancred I of Sicily and imprisoned Johanna/Joan. Richard arrived with a huge army and demanded the release of his sister, her dowry and her lands. Tancred refused and Richard captured Messina in October 1190 (using the chaos of a local revolt to speed his victory), signed a treaty with Tancred (releasing Johanna and her money to Richard - “a fortune in silver”) and decided to keep his army there for the winter. At the time, Richard was engaged to Alys, Philip’s sister, but while in Sicily Richard broke the engagement and had his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, bring Berengaria of Navarre to Sicily so he could marry her (“a new wife” - this was during lent 1191 though, so the wedding had to wait). Philip decided to leave and set sail for Tyre, leaving in March and arriving in May. By May 20th, Philip had joined the siege of Acre. Richard didn’t leave Sicily until April but his fleet was hit by a storm.

Isaac Dukas Comnenas of Cyprus captured Berengaria, Johanna, and a good deal of treasure from one of Richard’s ship that wrecked on the coast of Cyprus. Richard came to Cyprus, demanded his sister, wife and treasure back and when Isaac refused Richard took only a few days to conquer Cyprus. Isaac begged that the English King not put him in iron shackles and Richard acquiesced then put the former ruler of Cyprus in shackles made of silver. After claiming rule over Cyprus, Richard continued on his way to Acre arriving June 8, 1191. 

During the prior year, Sibylla had died leaving Guy with little legitimacy to his claim on the crown and the European forces were beset with infighting. By winter of 1190-91, Saladin has encircled the Europeans creating a double siege at Acre. Richard arrived, build siege weapons and quickly captured the city by July 12, 1191. Richard supported Guy as King of Jerusalem but Philip (still smarting from the slight of his sister and rumored broken love affair with Richard) supported Conrad, who was married to Isabella of Jerusalem, Sibylla’s sister. Philip and much of the original besieging forces left in August 1191 to go back to Europe. During all of this infighting, Saladin refused to capitulate to Richard’s demands on the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and Richard had the inhabitants of Acre (including women and children) massacred on the walls of the city in view of Saladin’s troops. 

Richard decided to march south to Jaffa (modern-day Tel Aviv-Yafo) but was stopped by Saladin’s forces as Arsuf, September 7th, 1191. Saladin had Richard’s army pinned between the forests at Arsuf and the sea, hoping to out maneuver the European forces by sending troops on foot (who had cymbals and gongs, and came yelling in a frenzy) and mounted archers against Richard’s line and then having them peel off. But Richard was determined to hold his army together, and the crusaders held their column rather than send a counter attack. The Hospitallers took heavy losses and broke orders, charging the Muslims. Being a skilled tactician, Richard decided to back the Hospitallers, who had attacked Saladin’s right flank, by sending the Templars to attack the left flank and leading his knights against the center. The ploy worked and Saladin’s forces were scattered allowing Richard to advance on Jaffa and take the city. 

Richard continued his advance, and was eventually forced to accept Conrad as King of Jerusalem (he gave Cyprus to Guy as a consolation prize). Before he could be crowned though, Conrad was killed by Assassins* who were rumored to have been hired by Richard. Isabella then married Richard’s nephew, Henry II of Champagne. Saladin continued his attacks on the Crusader army and in July of 1192, he attacked Jaffa. Saladin lost control of his army during the attack and even chivalrously warned the Europeans to hide away (since the Muslim army was livid and murderous after the massacre at Acre the year before). On September 2, 1192, Richard and Saladin signed a peace treaty which left Jerusalem under Muslim control but allowed Christian traders and pilgrims entrance to the city. In October of 1192, Richard sailed back to Europe** with most of his army having succeeded in taking Acre and Jaffa, but having failed to recapture Jerusalem. 

*Assassins were a militant order of Muslims who were aligned with Saladin, but only tenuously. 
** Richard was captured before getting back to England and held by Duke Leopold, Conrad’s cousin, on suspicion that Richard had had Conrad killed. It wasn’t until 1194 that Richard was ransomed and returned to England. Isabella had been pregnant at the time of her marriage to Henry with Maria of Montferrat, Conrad’s daughter, who eventually became Queen of Jerusalem.