{"id":2613,"date":"2019-11-26T06:10:01","date_gmt":"2019-11-26T06:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/?p=2613"},"modified":"2026-02-28T08:50:46","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T08:50:46","slug":"third-crusade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/third-crusade\/","title":{"rendered":"Third Crusade: A Detailed Summary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Third Crusade, launched in 1189 CE, was a response to the capture of Jerusalem<\/a> by Muslim leader Saladin. Led by powerful monarchs like Richard the Lionheart of England, Philip II of France, and Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, the Third Crusade achieved several military victories but failed to retake Jerusalem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WHAT WERE THE CRUSADES?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0Crusades<\/a>\u00a0are one of the most significant events in the history of Europe and the Middle East.\u00a0 They were a series of religious wars carried out by Christian crusaders<\/a> from Europe during the timeframe of the\u00a0Middle Ages<\/a>.\u00a0 Beginning in 1095 CE, the Crusades saw European knights and noblemen travel to the Middle East in an attempt to capture the Holy Land<\/a> away from Muslim people that had controlled the region for the previous centuries.\u00a0 The term crusade means \u2018cross\u2019.\u00a0 Therefore, the Europeans that became crusaders viewed themselves as \u2018taking up the cross\u2019.\u00a0 In fact, many of the crusaders wore crosses on their clothing and armor as they made their pilgrimage to the Holy Land.\u00a0 This article details the events of the Third Crusade.\u00a0\u00a0Click here<\/a>\u00a0to read more information about the other major Crusades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Crusades\"
Battle of Dorylaeum (1147), a battel from the Second Crusade. (Estoire d’Eracles)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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THIRD CRUSADE – WHY AND WHEN DID IT OCCUR?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Third Crusade took place from 1189 until 1192 CE and was a major event in the history of the Crusades.\u00a0 The Third Crusade was sparked by a few events.\u00a0 Firstly, the failure of the\u00a0Second Crusade<\/a>\u00a0in 1148 left a lasting impression in Europe, and caused many to want to return to the Holy Land and fight for control of the territory.\u00a0 Secondly, the capture of\u00a0Jerusalem\u00a0by Saladin in 1187 was the immediate cause of the Third Crusade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To this point in history, Jerusalem had been controlled by the crusaders and was the Kingdom of Jerusalem, which was a Crusader State<\/a>. \u00a0The crusaders of the\u00a0First Crusade\u00a0had established several \u2018Crusader States\u2019 during the timeframe of the First Crusade, including the Kingdom of Jerusalem.\u00a0 The leaders of the First Crusade<\/a> established these states as a means of controlling the territory and creating a base from which they could launch further attacks into the region of the Holy Land.\u00a0 However, Jerusalem was captured by Muslim forces during the Siege of Jerusalem, which lasted from September 20th to October 2nd in 1187.\u00a0 At the end of the battle, the city of Jerusalem was surrendered to Saladin, the leader of the Muslim forces, and founder of the Ayyubid Dynasty.\u00a0 The Muslim capture of Jerusalem caused the outbreak of support in Europe for the Third Crusade.\u00a0 This is because Jerusalem was symbolically important to the cause of the crusaders in the Holy Land. \u00a0For instance, for Christians, Jerusalem was the site of Jesus Christ\u2019s crucifixion and resurrection.\u00a0 As such, the city was vitally important to their understanding of the teachings and history of Jesus<\/a>, and they considered holding it necessary to their religious faith.\u00a0 Saladin and his forces continued their expansion beyond Jerusalem and capture Acre later that same year.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response to the gains of Saladin and the Muslim forces in the Holy Land, the Pope responded by calling for a new crusade.  In fact, it was written that Pope Urban III died from shock after hearing news of the death of Christian crusaders in the Battle of Hattin.  The Battle of Hattin occurred on July 4th, 1187 and saw the crusader forces in the Holy Land soundly defeated by the Muslim forces.  The losses were so terrible for the Christians that the Muslims gained control over the vast majority of the Holy Land, and prevented the Christians from carrying out any meaningful conflict.  This led to the call for the Third Crusade.  For example, the new pope, Gregory VIII, called for the Third Crusade on October 29th, 1187.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Third Crusade Map by History Crunch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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THIRD CRUSADE – MAJOR EVENTS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Thousands from across Europe \u2018took up the cross\u2019 and participated in the Third Crusade.  More specifically, historians estimate that anywhere from 36,000 to over 70,000 crusaders made the journey to the Holy Land as part of the Third Crusade.  Furthermore, several major monarchs were involved in the Third Crusade, including: Richard I of England, Phillip II of France and Frederick Barbarossa of Germany (Holy Roman Empire).  As such, most of the crusaders came from these three regions, although it is important to note that many other crusaders came from all across Europe.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Major figures of the Third Crusade.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Barbarossa\u2019s Crusade began in May of 1189 after months of preparations.  Barbarossa decided on making his way to the Holy Land via a land route across Europe.  Furthermore, he left on the 11th of May in 1189 with approximately 15,000 crusaders.  He gained more crusaders as he travelled east across Europe and towards the Holy Land.  This Journey east took him through major centers including: Hungary, the Byzantine Empire and other regions of the Balkans.  He and his army reached the Turkish territory in 1190 and soon began facing constant attacks from Turkish forces.  This caused Barbarossa and his crusaders to carry out the Battle of Iconium on May 18th of 1190.  This battle saw the German forces, led by Barbarossa, defeat the Turkish defenders at the Turkish stronghold of Iconium.  Iconium is located just north of the Crusader States in modern Turkey.  However, Barbarossa\u2019s success in the Holy Land was short-lived as he died on June 10th, 1190.  While crossing a river on horseback, Barbarossa was thrown from his horse and drown.  This was important because many of his crusaders abandoned the crusade and returned home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As stated above, the French and English also played a significant role in the Third Crusade.  First, it\u2019s important to note that the French and English were actually at war in the timeframe before their participation in the Third Crusade, and actually ended their conflict to ally together in the journey to the Holy Land.  England\u2019s participation in the Third Crusade actually first began under the leadership of King Henry II, however he died on July 6th, 1189.  The new king, Richard I, took over as leader of the English in the crusade and immediately went to work forming the necessary crusaders and supplies.  In fact, Richard I met with the French king, Phillip II, on July 4th, 1190 in V\u00e9zelay, France and the two set out together with their crusaders towards the Holy Land.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u200bFrom there Phillip II and the French marched to Genoa, where they hired Genovese ships to transport them to Acre, where they arrived in May of 1191.  For their part, the English and Richard I marched to Sicily, where they were met by the English fleet in the city of Messina.  From there, they sailed to the Holy Land and arrived near the city of Acre in June of 1191, just a month after the French.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u200bUpon arriving near Acre, the crusaders began preparing to attack the city of Acre, which was held by Turkish forces.  What followed was the Siege of Acre, which was a major battle in the Third Crusade.  In the Second Crusade, the Muslims leader, Saladin, had captured large sections of the Holy Land, including Acre.  Phillip II and Richard I combined their forced with the local Christian rulers and overran the city of Acre on July 12th, 1191.  The victory was significant for the crusaders and helped push back against Saladin\u2019s control over the region.  Following the victory at Acre, Richard I marched his forces south to the city of Jaffa.  This was an important position to hold for the crusaders as it was on the route to Jerusalem, which was the main goal of the crusaders.  Richard I and his forces met Saladin\u2019s soldiers at the city of Arsuf and the two sides carried out a major conflict referred to as the Battle of Arsuf, which took place on September 7th, 1191.  During this battle, Richard I\u2019s crusaders overwhelmed Saladin\u2019s soldiers and forced them to retreat.  This gave the Christian crusaders an important point from which to launch an attack on Jerusalem, which was also held and controlled by Saladin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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‘Battle of Arsuf’ by Gustave Dor\u00e9 (19th Century)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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THIRD CRUSADE – JERUSALEM<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The city of Jerusalem<\/a> was the heart of the fighting of the Crusades.\u00a0 The city was centrally located in the Holy Land between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea.\u00a0 While the history of the city itself goes back much further, it was a significant site in the Crusades because of the importance it holds in the three main religions of the region: Christianity<\/a>, Islam and Judaism.\u00a0 For Christians, Jerusalem was the site of Jesus Christ\u2019s crucifixion and resurrection.\u00a0 As such, the city was vitally important to their understanding of the teachings and history of Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the main goal of the crusaders in the Third Crusade was the capture and hold the city of Jerusalem, it proved difficult for the forces of Richard I and Phillip II.  The Christian crusaders had made major gains in the Holy Land, and held important coastal regions north of Jerusalem, but ultimately failed to capture the city.  For instance, Richard I had hoped to carry out a direct assault of Jerusalem and recapture it from Saladin, but he was stalled for months with negotiations among the local Christian rulers.  In fact, in June of 1192, the crusaders came close to assaulting Jerusalem, but were ultimately forced to retreat due to a lack of organization and planning among the Christian leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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‘Saladin Accepting the Crusader Defeat After the Battle of Hattin’ by Said Tahseen (1954)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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THIRD CRUSADE – SIGNIFICANCE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u200bIn all, the Third Crusade was a mixture of successes and failure for the crusaders.  It was a success in that the crusaders made strategic gains in the Holy Land, and formed an important stronghold around the city of Acre.  However, Richard I was heavily criticized for his failure to carry out a complete attack on Jerusalem and recapture the city for the Christians.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Third Crusade took place from 1189 until 1192 CE and was a major event in the history of the Crusades. This article details the major events and significance of the Third Crusade.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5854,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":22,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,46],"tags":[84,15,83],"class_list":["post-2613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crusades","category-middle-ages","tag-crusades","tag-history","tag-middle-ages"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2613"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5913,"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613\/revisions\/5913"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}