Events of the Crusade Flashcards
When did Richard I and Philip II depart together from France for the Holy Land together?
1190.
Summarise the events of the 3rd Crusade.
• Richard I and Philip II departed together for the Holy Land in 1190.
• By September, they’d arrived in Sicily. By May, they’d reached Cyprus, which Richard conquered.
• In 1191, Richard gained a military victory in Acre, as well as a host of problems because of a quarrel with Philip, who then left the Crusade.
• He lost another ally in Leopold of Austria, who left the Crusade in humiliation after his flag was torn from celebrations of the victory in Acre.
• Richard became distracted by the threat of rebellion back in the Angevin empire by John and Philip.
• Despite being militarily weakened by the loss of Philip and Leopold, Richard gained a victory at Arsuf.
• Plans for a march on Jerusalem were suspended due to fear of failure and bad conditions. Richard ordered the strengthening of the Jaffa base, while his army began to break up. Saladin gained an advantage in their resulting slow movement.
• A second march to Jerusalem also failed; Richard retreated to Jaffa. Saladin launched a surprise attack on Jaffa, but Richard’s army fought back successfully.
• The 2 leaders compromised, agreeing the Treaty of Jaffa.
• In October 1192, Richard set off for England, thus concluding the 3rd Crusade.
What was the significance of the location of Acre?
Acre was the main port in the Kingdom of Jerusalem and therefore an important supply route. It had been under siege by crusaders since 1189.
How did Richard gain a victory at Acre?
In June, as Richard sailed towards Acre, his forces managed to sink enemy ships. Arriving at Acre on the 8th of June, his forces joined Philip’s in the attack on the city walls. These were eventually breached by catapults and burrowed tunnels.
After Philip returned to France, Richard negotiated with Saladin to form a surrender deal. Give 3 features of the deal.
1) Richard would release Muslim soldiers and Saladin would release Christian prisoners. 2) Saladin would pay 200,000 gold coins to the Crusaders and hand over siege weapons. 3) Saladin would return a valuable Christian cross to the Crusaders.
What happened after Richard negotiated with Saladin to form a surrender deal?
Saladin went back on the promise to release Christian prisoners, and didn’t hand over the money. In retaliation, in August 1191, Richard marched 2700 Muslim prisoners from Acre to just outside Saladin’s camp, where he beheaded them. This action was reckless and tactless - he could have ransomed the prisoners and made money.
Why did Philip decide to leave the Crusade after the Battle of Acre in 1191?
He was suffering from ill health (hair and teeth were falling out!), he could not stand Richard’s arrogance and he was under threat of enemy attack back home in France.
Why did Richard fall out with Philip II while he was on the Crusade? Give 5 reasons.
1) There was bad feeling between the Kings even before they set off. 2) They ended up competing for leadership of the whole Crusade. 3) Philip felt he was continually humiliated by Richard. 4) Philip got angry that Richard used the money from conquering and selling Cyprus to pay the Angevin soldiers higher wages. 5) There was a dispute over who should be the King of Jerusalem once it was recaptured.
Why was there bad feeling between the Kings even before they set off for the Crusade?
Richard held a strategically important bit of land in France called the Vexin, which Philip felt he should not have; he’d been given it as a present for marrying Philip’s sister Alice, but had never actually gone through with the wedding.
Why did Richard and Philip end up competing for leadership of the whole Crusade?
This role had originally been carried out by Frederick, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, but he died by drowning in June 1190. Their rivalry was exacerbated by arguments over who should lead Frederick’s 15,000 soldiers.
Why did Philip feel like he was continually humiliated by Richard?
1) When the two leaders arrived in Sicily on the way to the Holy Land, Richard was greeted as a hero whereas Philip wasn’t. 2) When Richard arrived in Cyprus, he married Berengaria of Navarre. This meant that Philip had to release him from his promise to marry his sister Alice. 3) When they reached Cyprus, Richard conquered it and would not share it with Philip.
How did Richard gain a victory at Arsuf?
In August, the crusaders left Acre and began the march to the town of Jaffa, on the way to Jerusalem, holding their formation despite frequent attacks by Saladin’s horsemen. In September, Saladin’s army attacked the crusaders on the plain of Arsuf, fought in hot and dusty conditions. After an intense struggle, Saladin’s army fled and the crusaders marched on to Jaffa.
From a defensive position in Jaffa, Richard moved his troops towards Jerusalem, their final target. Give 3 reasons why many of Richard’s men were reluctant to advance towards the Holy City.
1) They feared Saladin’s forces would surround them from all sides, cutting off their supplies, if they left the coast. 2) Jerusalem was well protected by many fortresses. 3) They believed that, even if they did gain control of Jerusalem, they would not be able to hold onto it for long due to a lack of supplies, people and money.
What happened as a consequence of Richard’s men’s fears about marching to Jerusalem, and the awful weather conditions?
Richard suspended the march in January 1192.
Richard suspended the first march to Jerusalem in January 1192. What did Richard do with his army instead?
Richard ordered the strengthening of the base in Jaffa. What followed was a slow move to Jerusalem, from base to base, first the rebuilding of two ruined fortresses, and then a slow restock of supplies while rain fell, demoralising the soldiers and ruining the roads.
