Crusades 3 Of Frederick Barbarossa

1189-1192. Moslem divisions had been one cause for the success of the First Crusade. Now the Kurdish Saladin built a strong Moslem state which enveloped the Latin kingdom on its land frontiers. In 1147 in a memorable and decisive battle at Hattin, the European forces were cut to pieces. Jerusalem and most of the Crusader's centers soon fell to the triumphant Islam. It was to retrieve these losses that the Third Crusade was launched. This also was a grand affair, planned jointly by the Emperor Frederick I (known better as Frederick Barbarossa), the king of France, and the King of England. This Crusade was the most courtly, chivalrous, and romantic of all. The Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa, led a German force through Byzantium, and aroused the usual fears with the usual foundation. By the time of the Third Crusade, the magic and wonder had gone out of these movements altogether. The common people had found them out. The idea of the crusades was cheapened by their too frequent and trivial use. Whenever the pope quarreled with anyone now, he called for a crusade until the word ceased to mean anything but an attempt to give flavor to an unpalatable war.

The loss of the Holy City filled all Europe with sorrow; the emperor, Frederick, Richard, Philip Augustus of France, and several minor princes assumed the cross. Frederick advanced through the Byzantine territories, harassed at every step by Greek fraud and treachery. The army persevered, and joined the eastern Christians in the famous siege of Acre. The kings of England and France.. appeared together as companions in arms. In October, 1187, Jerusalem fell into the hands of the sultan Saladin. This roused the old emperor Frederick to go himself to recover the city. He defeated the sultan at Iconium But Frederick was drowned in attempting to ford the river Calycadnus in Asia Minor (1190) before reaching the Holy Land. Some of his troops continued to Palestine and were joined by Philip Augustus of France and Richard the Lionhearted of England, both deadly rivals in the west. Reinforcements from the west had dwindled to trickle. Religious bitterness was mitigated by the idea of knightly gallantry, which obsessed both Saladin and Richard, and the lover of romance may very well turn to the romances about this period for its flavor.

The crusade saved the principality of Antioch for a time, but failed to retake Jerusalem. The Christians, however, remained in possession of the sea coast of Palestine. Jerusalem could not be captured but Saladin signed a treaty with Richard allowing Christians to visit it freely. Richard I of England now became the chief leader of the Crusade amid great difficulties caused by the jealousies of other princes and his own inconsiderate eagerness, for he was but a glorified schoolboy. The scheming King Philip Augustus of France, and the adventurous King Richard. Philip sailed directly to Acre. Richard turned aside on the way east to take Cyprus, and then joined forces with Philip Augustus in the siege of Acre a year later. Richard and Philip promptly fell out, there had long been a quarrel between the house of Anjou and the House of Capet. The two monarchs took opposite sides in a dispute over the succession to the crown of Jerusalem, ridiculous since the Kingdom was mostly in Moslem hands. Philip becoming indisposed, went home - "diplomatic illness" no doubt, and Richard was left to himself. The recapture of Acre was the chief tangible achievement of the costly expedition. On the return journey overland, Richard was captured by Frederick's successor, Henry VI, and held for a ransom to three time the English governments annual income. Raising that exorbitant sum forced the invention of new forms of taxation and taught later English Kings how to get money from their people. However Cyprus was won and would remain under Frankish rule for several centuries longer.
[03, 05, 14, 23, 25, 26]



The Lord has given Christians the grace to reconcile the children to their Fathers

As One Body

  • We prepare for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb
  • Harvest the Fruit of the Latter Rain
  • Follow Him as the Army of the Lord into His Glory

Help To Prepare A Holy Bride!

Issue Oriented Discussion Newsletter

Index | Search This Site | Aristide.Org | The Latter Rain | Babylon the Great | The Kingdom | The Nicolaitans | Jezebel
The Baptism With the Holy Ghost | The Grand Delusion | World Trade Org | Liberation Theology | Jay Atkinson | Alphabetical Index



jay@latter-rain.com