The Crusade: What Really Happened During The Dark Age's Most Horrific War? | Warfare | Chronicle

this channel is part of the history hit Network [Music] for almost 200 years from 1096 until the end of the 13th century a steel tide of knights pilgrims and men at Arms surged from Western Europe to the burning deserts of Palestine They Carried before them the Cross of Christ and marched to liberate the most Sacred City of the Medieval World Jerusalem the desperate Wars which followed would witness perhaps the most Savage bloody and fanatical conflict of the entire Grim Medieval Age the scorched Desert Sands of the Holy Land would be forever stained by the blood of Christian and Muslim their cause was totally warm and their struggles would become known to history as the Crusades foreign [Music] although the crusading movement did not finally die out until well into the 16th century its main successes occurred at its Inception late in the 11th century this perhaps reflects the huge initial fervor of the people of Western Europe in response to calls for expeditions to the Middle East the motivation of the individual participants in these and subsequent other expeditions the so-called Crusades remains largely a matter for speculation [Applause] there is no doubt that men were driven by a genuine spiritual desire to rescue the holy lands from the infidel however it is certain that more pragmatic motives such as lusts for plunder in the Mystic and Fable cities of the East had influence on many also surprisingly by the 11th century many areas of Western Europe especially those of Urban Development had by relative standards become overpopulated and overcrowded many therefore saw the Crusades as an opportunity to gain landed wealth in captured enemy territories although it is probable that most sought merely to escape the poverty malnutrition and the plague as well as the sheer boredom and monotony of life in the medieval feudal hierarchy but no matter what their reasons it is a fact that hundreds of thousands of individuals left behind their homes and families to fight in this new kind of War whether they died in battle or as a result of wounds disease or simply starvation and exhaustion on the March most Crusaders never returned in the second half of the 11th century Palestine held a special status in the Middle East for centuries Muslims Christians and Jews had lived there in comparative peace it was both a holy land and a link between the Western world and the east although it had been governed by Muslims since the 7th century Christians had become used to making pilgrimages there the journey was long and dangerous but the Fatimid rulers of Syria and Palestine were sympathetic they offered Christian pilgrims food protection and the opportunity to trade but in 1071 seljuk Turks who were nomadic Warriors from Central Asia defeated the Byzantine Army at manziket these men were fanatical converts to Islam with a reputation for savagery quite unlike the fatimates within seven years they had swept through Asia Minor and seized control of the Middle East including the ports of Damascus Antioch and most importantly Jerusalem history hit is like Netflix just for history fans with exclusive history documentaries covering some of the most famous people and events in history just for you with familiar faces such as Dan Jones and Dr Eleanor janega we've got hundreds of documentaries covering the greatest figures and events of medieval history we're committed to Bringing history fans award-winning documentaries and podcasts that you cannot find anywhere else sign up now for a free trial and Chronicle fans get 50 off their first three months just be sure to use the code Chronicle at now under the seljuk rule Christian pilgrims were commonly turned away from the Middle East many were attacked robbed and killed by the Turks as the land routes to Syria and Palestine were closed trade to the close Western Nations was immediately threatened by Turkish privateers before long the Byzantine emperor Alexis the first commandless who had lost vast provinces to the Turks appealed to the West for help in regaining them the reaction in the West Was by modern standards extraordinarily slow but over a period of a decade as the reality of Turkish rule in the East became established momentum grew behind a movement to act in the winter of the Year 1095 Pope Urban II addressed the people of France in a field outside the town of Claremore he appealed to the Nobles and clergyman of Christendom to embark on an armed pilgrimage to the east he offered the protection of the church to all those who took part in the following year he toured France with this message and where he could not appear personally his words were read to the people Pope Urban servant of the Servants of God to all the faithful waiting in Flanders both rulers and subjects greetings Grace and Apostolic blessing [Music] no you have already heard from the testimony of many that the frenzy of The Barbarians has devastated the Churches of God in the East and has even [Music] seized into slavery the holy city of Christ Jerusalem grieving in Pious contemplation of This Disaster we visited France and strongly urged the princes and people of that land to work for the liberation of the Eastern Church at the Council of avania we enjoined on them this undertaking for the remission of all their sins and appointed our dear son adamar Bishop of the queen as leader of the journey on our behalf so that whoever should set out on such a journey should obey his orders as if they were our own if God called any of you to this task know that the bishop adamar will set out with the aid of God on the 15th of August 1096 the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin what the pope intended was an expedition to recover the Holy Land from the infidels and by guaranteeing the blessing and protection of the church he offered an irresistible reward of both material and spiritual advancement in other words booty with God's blessing the pope signaled the way to the Holy Land in no uncertain terms here you are poor and unhappy there you will be joyful and prosperous and true friends of God a great commotion arose through all the regions of France so that if anyone earnestly wished to follow God with pure heart and mind and wanted to Bear the cross Faithfully after him he would hasten to take the road to the Holy Sepulcher for Pope Urban II began to deliver eloquent sermons and to preach saying that if anyone wished to save his soul he should not hesitate to undertake with humble Spirit The Way of the Lord and if he were in want of money divide Mercy would provide for him for his Holiness the pope said Brothers you must suffer many things in the Name of Christ wretchedness poverty nakedness persecution need sickness hunger thirst and other privations of this kind just as the Lord said to his disciples you must suffer many things in my name the great warrior Bohemian of Toronto hearing that an immense Army of Christians was on its way to the Holy Land thus what weapons this Army was carrying he was told respectively they carry weapons suited for war they bear the Cross of Christ and with one voice they clear out the words God wills it God wills it God wills it the Byzantine emperor had hoped to recruit a mercenary Army to fight the Turks instead the Pope's Clarion call Unleashed upon the East the First Crusade the pope delivered his message to the nobility of Europe personally but the Crusade would rely on ordinary people as much as the clergy and nobility in each Land The Call to Arms Was Heard by the poor oppressed and discontented from their own fanatical preachers guiber habit of nausea wrote to one such man who incited about him the people of northern France while all the princes who required large funds and great retinues of supporters were arranging their Affairs in an organized and scrupulous fashion before they left for the Holy Land the common people who were poor in possessions but rich in numbers attached themselves to a certain Peter the hermit unless I am mistaken he came from the city of amio in France and had led the solitary Life wearing a monk's Habit in some part of northern France I do not know where he left for what the purpose I do not know and traveled through cities and towns to preach it was surrounded by such throngs of people give them such gifts acclaimed as such an example of holiness that I remember no one ever having been held in such honor peasants criminals Craftsmen Beggars the old and the infirm were fired by religious fervor and the prospect of Loot and pillage the people's Crusade a Motley Army led by Peter The Hermit left cologne in April 1096. its impatience is perhaps related by guiber who noted that as soon as they came to some walled town they would ask repeatedly if this was Jerusalem the main armies of the crusade did not leave until the summer they needed time to prepare train and organize the wagons horses and weapons needed across Europe noblemen mortgaged their possessions in order to pay for Provisions for the journey a church encouraged these Knights to place their land in its keeping for the duration of the crusade in this way it soon amassed vast wealth god-free of boyon who commanded one of the four largest armies sold his castle and land in northern France outright this landless brother Baldwin eagerly joined him thereby escaping the dull Prospect of training for a life in the clergy count Raymond of Toulouse almost 60 years old commanded the most powerful this consisted mainly of Southern Frenchmen with him rode the bishop Le Puig and the pope had appointed spiritual leader of the Crusade force of men from Normandy England and Scotland was led jointly by count Robert of Flanders Stephen count of broir and shart count Hugh of Vermont the French King's brother and Duke Robert of Normandy the son of William the Conqueror the other great Army was made up of Normans who had previously conquered and settled in southern Italy led by Bowman a Toronto it was agreed that the Crusaders should meet in Constantinople there the Byzantine emperor would Supply ships to take them over the Bosphorus into Asia but the Long March of so many armies across Europe was not an easy one discipline and planning was essential for such a complicated logistical operation and in many cases this was badly lacking Peter the hermit's people's Crusade now numbering 20 000 people frequently lost all cohesion and on many occasions his pilgrims ran a mock in the town of semlin where a small group of crusaders had already been punished for raiding a Bazaar Peter's Crusaders slaughtered four thousand people before proceeding into Byzantium plundering as they went Belgrade was burned and the Bulgarian Governor sent his Army against them thousands of men women and children died when at last Peter and the remnant of his Crusader Army reached Constantinople they began at once to ran settled the emperor quickly transported the Lacosta Bostons anacondena daughter of the Byzantine emperor recorded how the people's Crusade met its own they immediately set off along the road to Marcia with no semblance of order all forgetting their military skill and the discipline required of those going out to battle the race of Latins is generally noted for its Love of Money I don't embarks on the invasion of a country one becomes totally unbridled devoid of all reasons since these men were advancing in no sort of order of discipline he fell into the Turkish Ambush near dracon and miserable Wipeout in Autumn the French and English armies made their way across the Alps they had to contend with snow local traffic on the old Roman roads and the problem of Bandits count Raymond in particular suffered greatly from such attacks when he forced his way down the boggy Dalmatian Coast presenting an easy target for the Slavs because of this his food supplies were exhausted before he reached Constantinople once over the Alps the great Army split up into independent commands which sailed separately across the Adriatic both halves of the force suffered losses at Sea in the Primitive Merchant ships they employed Prince Bowman's Army crossed from Bari to Greece but in the pindus mountains they lost their pack animals and had to ransack the countryside for more for the rest of the journey to Constantinople the emperor put them under a guard of mercenaries who themselves did not at all mind picking off and killing several straggling Crusaders by May 1097 between 60 000 and 100 000 men had crossed into Asia and the campaign proper began the Crusaders never had any overall command or plans they simply launched an attack on nicaea the Turkish capital Brewer the son of William the Conqueror wrote of the attack to his wife my love is surrounded by more than 300 Towers was the most amazing Wars we found the Turks inside the city bold Fighters but we discovered that the boundless Army of God had already locked in Mortal Kombat with the people of nicaea for four weeks the Crusaders settled down to a seven-week Siege of the city yet the day before their planned assault the Byzantine emperor Alexius attacked by sea and forced the surrender of the Garrison they rewarded well the Crusaders felt cheated of plunder unhappy about the manner of their victory the way to Anatolia was now open as Stephen ofbroar recorded God triumphed and greatness here was one back on 19th of June 1097. I am telling you this my life since we were reached Jerusalem from lycea in five weeks good Antioch does not get in our way unfortunately Stephen of roar's optimism was misplaced it would in fact take two years to reach Jerusalem in July half the Crusader Army was ambushed by sultan killage arslan but withstood attack long enough for the situation to be reversed when the rest of the Crusaders in turn rode upon the Sultan's men and broke them morale soon Rose amongst the Crusaders as one remembered we pursued and killed them throughout the day and took much spoil gold and silver horses and asses camels sheep and oxen the Christian armies pushed on making an exhausting four-month journey across the desert to Antioch capital of Syria by its end in October many of the horses and animals were dead and those nights on foot had dispensed with their heavy armor there the Crusaders lay Siege to the ancient Roman Fort but through spies and traitors word reached the Turks of the Crusaders depleted strength and lack of supplies the Emir of Mogul attacked the weary exhausted foot soldiers and only a thousand mounted Knights fought off this attack and were shortly after relieved Just In Time by the arrival of genoese Supply ships before the Emir could launch a second attack however the Crusaders gained entry to Antioch by stealth having scaled the walls Just Before Dawn aided by a Turk traitor 60 Crusaders succeeded in opening the gates from within by the end of that June day in 1098 every Turk in Antioch was dead the Emir intern now lays Siege to the Christians as the Crusaders began to starve Emperor Alexius began to march to their rescue but he soon turned back believing that the crusaders had been defeated already frustrated by repeated betrayals and deceits by the byzantines Crusaders never forgot or forgave him for this act of abandonment [Music] just as all hope seemed in vain Fate interceded on behalf of the Crusaders peasant Crusader claimed to have a vision of Saint Andrew telling him where the holy lands was buried and a piece of metal believed to be a lance which was said to have pierced the side of Christ on the cross was found this discovery spurred the Crusaders into a religious frenzy which was so great that they were able to march out of Antioch scattering the emir's men before them and averting defeat after taking the walled town of marad and Numan the Crusaders progressed along the coast quickly taking Tripoli tire and acre before turning Inland to Bethlehem there Siege weapons were built and after five weeks The Assault on Jerusalem was made the north wall was soon breached and under a hail of rocks stones and burning oil Godfrey's men were the first to climb into the city the gates were opened and 1 300 Knights and ten thousand infantry flooded into the streets [Applause] it was almost four years since Pope Urban's appeal for the Expedition and now the crusaders had finally reached their objective Jerusalem was once more in Christian hands but the human class was terrible for three whole days and nights the Crusaders ran and mock killing men women and children one English Crusader named Roger de wuzley bore witness to The Siege and its aftermath before we attacked Jerusalem the Bishops and Priests preached to us telling us to go in a procession in God's honor around Jerusalem and pray and give arms and fast on Friday the 15th of July 10.99 early in the morning we attacked the city from all sides I can make no Headway we were all numb with astonishment and very bright and his brother Baldwin countable line were fighting bravely in The Siege Tower and then one of our Knights little by name climbed up to the walls of the city as soon as he had climbed it all the Defenders of the city fled along the walls and through the city our men following Leopold chased after them killing and dismembering them as far as the Temple of Solomon and in that place there was such Slaughter Ed their blood God free of weon in fact was honored with the title of defender of the Holy Sepulcher a month later in August the Crusaders attacked and defeated the Egyptian Army on a plane north of ascalon after this the holy land was truly theirs foreign [Music] the Christian forces participating in the Crusades were composed of differing nationalities and so are often referred to as the Frankish or Latin armies moreover they were composed of varied social ranks and standings as with all European armies of the medieval period the Crusades were organized according to the dictates of the feudal system a king granted lands to his Barons and the church and in return received fixed quotas of knights for military service in times of War in turn the Nobles and clergy sublet lands in return for a military contingent from each estate each night or sub-tenant provided not only himself as an armored cavalryman but perhaps also brothers or other Kinsmen as mounted sergeants or Squires his Freehold tenants were equipped to a reasonably high standard with basic padded or male armor and swords or pole arms as men at Arms in addition extra peasants were kept for labor and to serve as basic Infantry in this way the feudal retinue of a Kingdom's baronage and church combined to form National armies finally forces of hired mercenaries served to stiffen an assembled Army it is difficult to estimate the actual size of the Crusader armies due to the exaggerations of contemporary chroniclers however it is probable that the great Army of the First Crusade numbered around one hundred and fifty thousand almost certainly including large numbers of camp followers women settlers and peasants the contingent led by Raymond of Toulouse is known to be the largest comprising around 1200 Cavalry and 8500 Infantry similarly in the Middle East armies were also organized along the lines of a feudal system the forces known collectively as saracens were composed mainly of fatinid abacid and seljuk Turk peoples in general each province of an individual caliphate had by law to finance its own contingent of the national Army an emir was placed in charge of levying such a force and along with an annual tribute to the sultan was required in Wartime to provide a set number of troops service and armies therefore consisted of a large professional Force provided by the Sultan's personal bodyguard together with the feudal troops of the armiers in addition teacher Mia usually had his own personal bodyguard of professional soldiers known as escars in general both saris and infantry and Cavalry were lighter armored than their Christian foes though still frequently being equipped with male shirts and helmets favored weapons included the curved scimiter and the wide-bladed Falcon along with the universally common War Acts as with the Christian armies saracen forces were frequently strengthened with units of mercenaries mainly comprising turkoman mounted archers still less is known about the numerical strength of saracen armies although early in the 12th century the caliph of Baghdad could muster an army of some 120 000 Cavalry alone [Music] the major tactical arm of the Crusader forces was the heavily armored mounted Knight wearing a padded gambeson beneath a male shirt along with a great or Barrel Helm shield and Lance or mace mounted on large horses and charging in a concentrated Mass such troops had little difficulty in scattering the much lighter armed and horsed saracen cavalry in response the Arab Horseman could only melt away before a charge hoping to inflict missile casualties by means of the light composite bow They Carried although both armies employed units of crossbowmen the dominant age of the English Longbow had not yet arrived and so engagements were usually decided on the strength of Cavalry tactics time and again throughout the conflicts the heavily armored Christian Knights would pitch headlong into the often numerically superior but lighter armed saracen Cavalry and infantry units [Music] 44. the saracen chief Imad at Din zangi broke into the city of Odessa and massacred the inhabitants it was the first serious challenge to the Crusaders states which had been established in the Holy Land until then local alliances particularly with the Muslim sect known as the Assassins so-called because of their use of the drug hashish had enabled the Crusader Kings to rule peacefully this sudden intrusion was as unexpected as it was violent Western Christendom was shaken and the Pope's agent and advisor sent Bernard of clairvo called for a response this took the form of the Second Crusade it was led by Louis VII of France who had for some time been planning an armed pilgrimage to the holy lands and Conrad III of Germany it proved to be a complete disaster Conrad's Army was simply defeated in battle and massacred by the Turks near Dollar land there were only a few survivors who managed to reach Antioch the French army on the other hand having set out for Odessa made an inexplicable change of plan and instead turned to attack the Syrian city of Damascus Damascus had been fought over many times but despite strong links with its Christian inhabitants it had never been held by the Crusaders William of Tire witnessed the attempt to take the city at the height of the fighting the citizens amazed at the number and Valor of our army began to lose faith in their own power to resist they barricaded with huge beams all the suburbs of the city in the area where our men were encamped the only hope being that while the Christians were engaged in breaking down these barriers they themselves would be able to flee with their wives and children through the opposite area of the city had Divine favor been with us but he who is terrible in his plans for the sons of men had decided otherwise for while the citizens had packed their bags and decided to leave the place they began to presume Upon Our cupidity and came up with the intention of storming with money the sold of those whose bodies they could not overcome by fighting they used various arguments even bringing a countless quantity of money to persuade some of our leaders to play the part of the traitor Judas now these men corrupted by gifts and Promises persuaded the Kings and the pilgrim leaders who trusted completely in their loyalty and Industry to transfer the Army to the opposite side of the city they claimed that on that side looking south and east there were no Orchards to defend the city nor was the access to the wall impeded by any moat or river the Kings and the leaders of the whole Army believed them and deserted the place which they had previously occupied with great effort and loss of men he transferred their whole force and under the traitor's direction set up camp on the opposite side of the city they realized that their new position was a long way from the water and lacked the abundance of fruit at the previous one and that their supplies had now almost failed they complained too late but there had been treachery a severe shortage of food was beginning to set in for the soldiers had been led to believe before they set out that the city would be taken very quickly and so it only bought a few day supplies with them this was especially the case with those new to the Holy Land they became doubtful and wondered what they should do it seemed hard if not impossible to return to the position they had deserted therefore the pilgrim leaders held Council together and they decided to return home the Kings and leaders were themselves confused and Afraid and their business unaccomplished because of our sins were forced to leave after four days and camped outside the city the French army was forced to retreat from repeated Damascus counter-attacks and the Second Crusade fell into disorder the men returned to their own kingdoms by the same route as they had come and held in suspicion all the ways of our princes rightly declining to take any part in their plans the result of this was that thereafter pilgrims coming this way were neither so many nor so Ardent and even today those who do come do not want to fall into the net of treachery and so seek to return home quickly the Second Crusade ended in 1149 leaving Crusader power in the region weakened and internally fractured by power struggles in the following Years Christian leaders squabbled over Authority in the Holy Land while Damascus actually fell to nuradin the son of zangli against this background a new threat surfaced after nuradian's death in 1174 a Kurdish Commander called Saladin took Damascus by 1176 he was the ruler of all Egypt and able to set about the control of all Muslim lands bordering the Crusader states by means of truces and the clever division of his enemies in this way this clever and able Soldier was able to focus all his attention upon Jerusalem and His holy war against the Crusaders God may he be exalted and as for those who fight for us we guide them along our path indeed God is on the side of those who do good there are many texts on Jihad in the Quran and I have been extremely diligent in waging this holy war and it was constantly on my mind one could swear by one's right hand without fear of contradiction that from the time I first set out intent on Jihad until the day I die I have not spent a single gold or silver coin except on Jihad and Pious works my heart and mind are so taken over by this Burning Zeal for Jihad but I can't think of nothing else out of my desire to fight for God's cause I have left behind my family children country home and all the town under my control for I am Saladin God is my Lord having captured all the coastal towns but Tire Antioch and Tripoli he at last invaded Galilee saladin's military genius would be confirmed just over a decade later a single crushing victory over the Christians would send fearful repercussions throughout Western Europe in July 1187 saladin's Army of one hundred thousand men surrounded the Crusaders 1200 nights and twenty thousand Infantry on a plane west of Tiberius marked by two Hills known as the horns of hatim stayed up all that night of July 2nd 1187 archers and had filled their wooden and leather Quivers with arrows the number of arrows I distributed amounted to 400 loads not counting the supply carried by 70 dramatars I had brought on to the battlefield from which anyone could take a supply of atoms it's the day of the July dawned our archers emerged setting alike the people of Hell fired with the boys of arrows there was a creaking of bows in the blocking of strings on that day and the Army poured down on the franksters scorching rays that the heat flared up the forces of evil began to fade a searing first descended the air burned as passions turned to fear those dogs panting their tongues lulling plagued by a havoc on their own making turned their minds to thoughts of water only to be met by the Flames of hell and to be overcome by the fire of the midday sung one Crusader who survived the engagement recorded his experiences at the precise instant that the fighting began Raymond III count of Tripoli left the spot feigning flight rumor has it that he did this by pre-arrangement so that our troops would scatter apparently stricken by Terror at the desertion of one who should have been their support while the spirits of the enemy were raged so the lord gave his people over also unto the sword embroiled in Conflict concerning his inheritance to slaughter and pillage as the sins of mankind demanded the forces of Saladin indeed proved too strong for the Franks who were finally driven up to the horns of hateen themselves once surrounded the defeat of the Crusader Army was inevitable no matter how hard they thought they were reported no matter how often they rallied each time they were encircled not even an ant crawled out from among them nor could they defend themselves against the onslaught they retreated to Mantra team to escape the storm of Destruction but on our team itself they found themselves encamped by fatal Thunderbolts arrowheads transfixed them the Peaks laid them all over those pin them down Faith Calamity chewed them up and disaster tainted them not since the Frankish occupation of the Syrian Coast had the Muslims thirst for victory being quenched to the extent it was on the day of hating for July 1187. God May he be honored and glorified gave the upper hand to me and enabled me to perform that in which Kings had proved themselves deficient salad saladin's victory was crushing and crusader losses Indeed heavy so many were slain so many wounded and so many thrown into chains that how people completely defeated or a pitiable side even to the enemy who were still the cross of our salvation that life-giving would taken into the hands of the enemy and along with it fell its bearers the bishop of acre and the defender of the Holy Sepulcher one killed the other captured when the noise of battle had ceased and Saladin beheld the captives being dragged away in the dead strewn about he raised his eyes to heaven and thanked his God for the victory he even claimed that it was our wickedness not his power gave him his victory and the turn of events bore him out for our arm however small generally prevailed with God's help on this occasion however we were not with the Lord nor he with us and our troops were utterly worsted although they were reckoned to be no more than 20 000 of the thousands the Christian Army was hacked to pieces after the battle Saladin displayed his renowned generosity by sparing many of the prisoners for ransom indeed saladin's capacity for mercy and magnanimity and victory is well documented among Christian and Muslim accounts alike once during The Siege of Jerusalem an army Scout came to us with a sobbing woman beating her breast she came from the Frankish Garrison discount Expo and wishes to see you my master we brought her here question he said yesterday some Muslim thiefs entered my tent and stole my little girl all night and our commands told me the king of the Muslims is merciful we'll let you go to him can ask for your daughter back and I have come and I place all my hopes in you tears came to my eyes I sent to the slave market for the girl to be found and in less than an hour's passing a Horseman arrived bearing the child on his shoulders soon as she showed them the girls mother threw herself to the ground and smeared her face with sand all those present wept with emotion she looked heavenward and prayed with relief and Thanksgiving thus was her daughter she was escorted back to the canvas tears however all the captured Templars and hospitals were executed by October Saladin had captured Jerusalem and once more the Western world was thrown into panic in 1190 the Third Crusade was launched [Applause] [Music] this time the feverishly raised Expedition East comprised French English German and Scandinavian troops the German troops were led by their now almost 70-year-old Emperor Frederick the first Barbarossa it was his Misfortune to March over land towards Constantinople only to drown in an Armenian River the English and French traveled by sea spent much time at ports of call such as Sicily on the way and in dealing with disease among their troops as a result they did not reach Palestine until 1191. the French King Philip Augustus and the English king Richard the lionheart quarreled persistently with each other even as they landed and began to pillage their way Eastward the contrast of character between the two leaders was marked Philip of France was known to be sickly nervous cunning and cruel and relied heavily on duplicity to achieve his political ends Richard of England was a naturally charismatic personality and though he was as cruel as Philip he was rash dashing and inspirational by July however the Crusaders succeeded in ending saladin's two-year Siege of the port of acre and marched into the city the saracen armors Supply Route was then cut off by Italian warships which also prevented reinforcements from breaching the field and the Crusaders set about ransoming saracen prisoners when this Ransom payment failed to arrive on time Richard had 2700 saracen prisoners executed after two weeks Philip Augustus returned to France markedly depleting the Crusader's strength despite this Richard characteristically confronted saladin's forces in battle not far from Jaffa on the plane of asuf a site of great strategic importance with the sea at their flank Richard's heavily armored troops strongly resisted the hail of saracen arrows before unleashing their deadly Ace the charge of heavy Cavalry to grit effect although with such a depleted force it was impossible to achieve a total Victory the Crusaders eventually won the day one of Richard's veterans relates that as the Christians kept up the slaughter hammering away with their swords the Turks began to panic and weaken for some while the battle swayed to and fro each side returning blow for blow and striving for victory some were treated covered in blood others were wounded rushed on to their death many flags could be seen fall into Earth with banners of all shapes and sizes and countless Penance and standards trusty swords lay scattered around metal tipped darts Turkish bows and clubs bristling with sharp teeth over the battlefield more than 20 cart loads of boats javelined arrows and other missiles could have been collected great numbers of bearded Turks lay dead and mutinated with a courage born of Despair others kept fighting but as our forces gained ground some were knocked from their horses and hid in the undergrowth While others swarmed up trees only to be pierced by arrows fall into Earth with Dreadful screens yet others left their horses of their own will and Slipped Away In Flight by a hazardous by waste of the sea where they heard themselves into the deep from Cliffs as much as 30 meters high thus the enemy was gloriously routed so that for two miles nothing could be seen but a flea knob they who had been served steadfast so Fierce and so swollen with pride by God's help fell in their arrogance although Richard achieved victory over Saladin and fought on in Palestine for some time he never succeeded in liberating the holy city of Jerusalem after one victorita soon on 29 September 1191 unfortified the city with teachers on the wall with the intention of protecting the interests of Christianity the best of our ability after he defeated Saladin has not dared to face the Christians but like a lion and his den has been secretly hiding and plotting to kill the friends of the Cross like sheep or Slaughter [Music] [Music] likewise he has laid waste and trampled on the land of Syria before he comes to read qurans for Good Hope but soon God willing inheritance of the Lord will be fully regained since in his recovery we have exhausted not only our money time than body as well we bring it to the attention of your fraternal presentation that we certainly cannot remain in the country of Syria after Easter just as at the beginning of this Expedition people are encouraged to serve almighty God to there is a great need firmly incite the same man to restore his holy inheritance or it is forever too late eventually Afflicted both by illness and by worrying news from home where War had erupted between France and England Richard reluctantly agreed a three-year truce with Saladin salad saladin's brother and governor of the coastal area negotiated peace on several terms when these terms had been put into writing and read to Richard he gave his consent he could not hope for more sick as he was with a little Prospect of help and not more than a couple of miles from the Enemy Lines anyone who maintains that any other reaction was possible in the matter of this treaty must incur the charge of dishonest thinking Richard only intended a temporary truce indeed he wanted to see his own land again and re-equip himself with men and money then he would return He swore and wrenched Jerusalem from saladin's grass Saladin sent back messages swearing that by almighty God and the Holy Lord he held Richard's Integrity pride and excellence in such high esteem that if he had to lose his land in his lifetime he would rather it were taken by one of such power and courage than by any other prince he had ever seen in fact the two men never met again Saladin died in 1193 while Richard languished in the Vienna prison a king held to Ransom after saladin's death the saracen Empire crumbled with the passing of these two Unforgettable leaders the days of the true Crusades ended moreover the subsequent loss of acre to the Turks caused Crusader power in Palestine to collapse irretrievably never again could Western Europe be rallied to the Cross now completely preoccupied with its own National Wars and intrigues although attempts were made throughout the 14th and 15th centuries to curb the power of the mighty ottoman Turks none of these was to achieve any lasting success but the dream of recapturing Jerusalem the naval of the world from the Infidel continue to haunt the minds of men as late as 1492 the renowned Explorer Christopher Columbus suggested that the riches of his new world might be used to set free the holy city today almost a thousand years later it is easy to consign to history the Crusades as a Litany of Mankind's Folly and horrid capacity for Destruction and cruelty in the name of religion yet even today the scourge of holy war lives on a grim reminder of the sweat blood and undying faith of the wars of the cross

Channel: Chronicle - Medieval History Documentaries

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Keywords: Chronicle - Medieval History Documentaries, Crusades Knights of Christ, Emperor Saladin, Richard the Lionheart, battle strategy, battlefield maneuvers, battlefield reenactment, chivalrous knights, cultural exchange, educational documentaries, feudalism system, legendary conflicts, medieval armor, medieval empires, medieval heroes and villains, medieval legends and myths, medieval warfare, medieval weapons, military campaigns, military technology, the Holy Grail quest

Id: jOm8S3qofvg

Length: 56min 34sec (3394 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 15 2023