Third Crusade Begins

Setting the scene

The Third Crusade was launched in response to Saladin's capture of Jerusalem in October 1187 after his victory at Hattin. Pope Gregory VIII issued the bull Audita tremendi in October 1187, calling for a new crusade. The response was unprecedented—three of Europe's most powerful monarchs took the cross: Frederick I Barbarossa, Holy Roman Emperor; Philip II Augustus of France; and Richard I the Lionheart of England. Their participation reflected Jerusalem's symbolic importance and the shock of its loss.

What happened

The crusade began in 1189. Frederick Barbarossa led the largest army, perhaps 15,000-20,000 men, overland through Byzantium and Anatolia in spring 1189. He won victories against Seljuk Turks but drowned on June 10, 1190, crossing the Saleph River in Cilicia—his army disintegrated. Philip and Richard traveled by sea, departing in 1190. They captured Messina in Sicily, wintered there, and quarreled. Philip reached Acre in April 1191, Richard in June, after conquering Cyprus en route.

Why it still matters

The Third Crusade achieved limited success. The crusaders captured Acre in July 1191 after a two-year siege, but Philip returned to France shortly after, leaving Richard in command. Richard won victories at Arsuf (September 1191) and Jaffa (1192), but twice advanced on Jerusalem and withdrew, recognizing he could not hold it. In September 1192, he negotiated the Treaty of Jaffa with Saladin, securing a three-year truce and Christian access to Jerusalem for pilgrims, but leaving the city in Muslim hands. The Third Crusade, called the 'Kings' Crusade,' demonstrated that even Europe's greatest monarchs could not retake Jerusalem, and its failure set the stage for later, more desperate crusades.

Background

The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt led by King Philip II of France, King Richard I of England, and Emperor Frederick Barbarossa to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by the Ayyubid sultan Saladin in 1187. For this reason, the Third Crusade is also known as the Kings' Crusade. It recovered some coast but not Jerusalem. Even centuries later, this episode remains a reference point for how empires rise, fracture, and transform.