Crusades-Religiously Sanctioned Military Campaigns

By the day of battle, an array might be further reduced by sickness, death, and desertions on the parade. On the other hand, a major effort same(p) the campaign of Hattin may wee attracted armed pilgrims and others who were never officially mustered.

None of the reported totals sound grossly exaggerated. Under the circumstances, we eject perhaps accept the median figure. desperate with thirst. They pressed forward, much now to reach water than to relieve Caesarea. But steady though they attempted to bring their Muslim enemies to close battle, the mount Turkish archers easily drew out of range, continuing their badgering fire. Finally the Franks' formation disintegrated and the Muslim force moved in. By the end of the day, the Frankish phalanx had been destroyed.4

The destruction of the Frankish army at Hattin to a fault spelled the end, ultimately, of the Western enclave in Syria that had been established by the First Crusade. By the next year, most of the inland Christian strongholds had fallen, culminating with the Muslim reconquest of Jerusalem. A few years later, the reinforcement of the third gear Crusade would stabilize and somewhat strengthen the remnants of the Crusader states. This coastal remnant would survive for another century5 But the Crusader states, which a few decades prior had been a substantial power in the region, never recovered and survived only as a

From the Western Christian point of view, Hattin should never have been fought. The fortress of Caesarea was not of critical strategic importance  sure enough not worth the risk of nearly the entire Frankish army. Indeed, the fortress belonged not to the poovedom of Jerusalem, but to the Raymond III, Count of Tripoli. Raymond had earlier concluded a truce with Saladin, a truce violate by a party of Templars.6 Even on the dayspring of July 3, Raymond, one of the most intelligent and realistic of the Syrian Franks, had argued against the relieving march from Saffiriya, though his wife was among the besieged.

In his view, it was better to preserve the main Christian force and let the fortress fall; he could ransom his wife and followers later. He presumably had confidence, surely rooted in his earlier dealings with Saladin, that they would not be mistreated in captivity. In the event, his confidence proved to be justified; after the disaster of Hattin, Saladin did capture Caesarea, and with it Raymond's wife; she and her attendents were puff uptreated and quickly released.7

We may reasonably assume, then, that Raymond's actual tilt was broadly that later attributed to him, a commonsense lean based on the fundamental strategic and tactical elements of the situation. The council stone-broke up on the night of the second with the barons and knights assuming that no immediate advance would be attempted. The next morning, however, Guy de Lusignan, the King of Jerusalem, countermanded the previous night's understanding in council, and ordered an advance on Caesarea.9 Once the decision was made to march, the outcome was a asleep(p) conclusion. Although he had opposed the king's decision, Raymond of Tripoli marched with his coreligionists.10 He was also one of the relatively few Franks to escape from the battle.11

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