Spring – Emperor
Isaac II (Angelos) sends a Byzantine expeditionary force under
Alexios Branas to suppress the
Vlach-Bulgarian Rebellion – but Alexios revolts against Isaac and is proclaimed emperor in
Andrianople. He musters troops and advances on
Constantinople in an attempt to seize it. However, Alexios is unable to bypass the city defenses and is defeated by the imperial forces led by
Conrad of Montferrat, the emperor's brother-in-law. On the battlefield, Alexios is beheaded by Conrad's supporting footsoldiers and the rebel army flees the field.[1]
Siege of Lovech: Byzantine forces under Isaac II besiege the fortress city of
Lovech in north-central
Bulgaria. After a three-month siege, Isaac is forced to accept a truce by recognizing the joint-rule of
Peter II and
Ivan Asen I as emperor's (or tsar) over the territory, leading to the creation of the
Second Bulgarian Empire (until
1396).
Levant
Spring – The Crusaders under
Raynald of Châtillon attack a large Muslim caravan, including members of
Saladin's family, journeying from
Cairo. Raynald takes the merchants, and their families with all their possessions to his castle of
Kerak. Saladin demands the release of the prisoners and compensation for their losses. This is refused by Raynald, who pays no attention to his order.[2]
March 13 – Saladin leaves
Damascus with his Muslim forces, and sends letters to neighboring countries, asking for volunteers for a forthcoming jihad ("Holy War"). A week later his younger brother
Al-Adil, governor of
Egypt, leads his forces out of Cairo towards
Syria. Meanwhile, Saladin leaves an army under his 18-year-old son
Al-Afdal at
Busra, to keep watch on the 'Pilgrim road'.[3]
May 1 –
Battle of Cresson: A Muslim reconnaissance force (some 7,000 men[4]) under
Muzaffar al-Din Gökböri, defeats a small Crusader army near Nazareth. Only
Gerard de Ridefort, commander of the Crusaders, and a handful of knights escape death or capture. The Muslims scatter and kill the Christian foot-soldiers (some 400 men) before pillaging the countryside.[5]
June 26 – Saladin regroups his Muslim forces and marches towards the
Jordan River. His army numbers around 30,000 men and is divided into three columns. The following day Saladin encamps on the
Golan Heights, in a marshy area near
Lake Tiberias. Raiding parties are sent across the Jordan to ravage Christian territory between Nazareth, Tiberias, and
Mount Tabor.[6]
June 30 – Saladin sends a contingent to block Tiberias and challenges the Crusaders by moving his main camp closer to
Saffuriya – some 10 km west of Lake Tiberias. On
July 1, he sends scouts to monitor an alternative road on his northern flank that connects Saffuriya and Tiberias. The following day he attacks Tiberias with a part of his forces, including siege equipment.[7]
July 2–
3 – Saladin besieges Tiberias. The defenders, and Countess
Eschiva II (wife of Raymond III) retreat to the citadel and sends messengers urging Guy of Lusignan to send help. Meanwhile, Guy and Raymond hold a war council to debate what should be done. Persuaded by Gerard de Ridefort and Raynald of Châtillon, Guy orders to march to the rescue of Tiberias.[8]
July 4 –
Battle of Hattin: Saladin defeats the Crusader army (some 20,000 men) under Guy of Lusignan at the
Horns of Hattin. Guy is captured along with many nobles and knights, among them, Raynald of Châtillon. The latter is executed by Saladin himself.[9] The
Crusader States have no reserves to defend the castles and fortified settlements against Saladin's forces.[10]
July 14 –
Conrad of Montferrat, an Italian nobleman, arrives in
Tyre which ends the surrender negotiations with Saladin. He finds the remnants of the Crusader army (after the battle of Hattin) and makes the Tyrians swear loyalty to him.
Reginald of Sidon and several other nobles give their support, Reginald goes to refortify his own castle of
Beaufort on the
Litani River.[11]
Summer – Saladin begins a campaign that paves the way for further Muslim inroads into Christian territory. Al-Adil invades
Palestine with the Egyptian army, and captures the strategic castle of
Mirabel (
Majdal Yaba). By mid-September, Saladin has captured the cities of
Acre,
Jaffa,
Gaza and
Ascalon (blockaded by the Egyptian fleet), along with some 50 Crusader castles.
September 20–
October 2 –
Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures
Jerusalem, after the Crusaders led by Balian of Ibelin surrender the 'Holy City'. The take-over of the city is relatively peaceful; Saladin agrees to let the Muslims and Christians leave the city, taking with them their goods. Balian joins his wife
Maria Komnene and family, in the
County of Tripoli.
November –
Richard of Poitou, son of King
Henry II, take the
Cross to help capture Jerusalem from the Muslims. He empties his coffers for the mission and makes a deal with King
William the Lion of
Scotland, giving him full feudal autonomy in return for cash.
Orio Mastropiero, doge of
Venice, secures loans from the Venetian nobility to finance the siege of
Zadar. Pledging the income from the Salt Office becomes a staple of the city's finance.[15]
^Choniates, Nicetas (1984). O City of Byzantium, Annals of Niketas Choniatēs, pp. 212–213. Translated by Harry J. Magoulias. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.
ISBN0-8143-1764-2.
^David Nicolle (1993). Osprey: Campaign series – 19. Hattin 1187, Saladin's Greatest Victory, p. 57.
ISBN1-85532-284-6. According to David Nicolle, Gökböri's force was said to consist of 7,000 men though this is a huge exaggeration, 700 seeming more likely.
^Steven Runciman (1952). A History of The Crusades. Vol II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem, pp. 369–370.
ISBN978-0-241-29876-3.
^David Nicolle (1993). Osprey: Campaign series – 19. Hattin 1187, Saladin's Greatest Victory, p. 61.
ISBN1-85532-284-6.
^Steven Runciman (1952). A History of The Crusades. Vol II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem, p. 371.
ISBN978-0-241-29876-3.
^David Nicolle (1993). Osprey: Campaign series – 19. Hattin 1187, Saladin's Greatest Victory, pp. 61–62.
ISBN1-85532-284-6.
^Steven Runciman (1952). A History of The Crusades. Vol II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem, p. 375.
ISBN978-0-241-29876-3.
^Smail, R. C. (1995). Crusading Warfare, 1097–1193, p. 33 (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
ISBN978-0-521-45838-2.
^David Nicolle (2005). Osprey: Campaign series – 161. The Third Crusade 1191: Richard the Lionheart, Saladin and the struggle for Jerusalem, p. 16.
ISBN978-1-84176-868-7.
Spring – Emperor
Isaac II (Angelos) sends a Byzantine expeditionary force under
Alexios Branas to suppress the
Vlach-Bulgarian Rebellion – but Alexios revolts against Isaac and is proclaimed emperor in
Andrianople. He musters troops and advances on
Constantinople in an attempt to seize it. However, Alexios is unable to bypass the city defenses and is defeated by the imperial forces led by
Conrad of Montferrat, the emperor's brother-in-law. On the battlefield, Alexios is beheaded by Conrad's supporting footsoldiers and the rebel army flees the field.[1]
Siege of Lovech: Byzantine forces under Isaac II besiege the fortress city of
Lovech in north-central
Bulgaria. After a three-month siege, Isaac is forced to accept a truce by recognizing the joint-rule of
Peter II and
Ivan Asen I as emperor's (or tsar) over the territory, leading to the creation of the
Second Bulgarian Empire (until
1396).
Levant
Spring – The Crusaders under
Raynald of Châtillon attack a large Muslim caravan, including members of
Saladin's family, journeying from
Cairo. Raynald takes the merchants, and their families with all their possessions to his castle of
Kerak. Saladin demands the release of the prisoners and compensation for their losses. This is refused by Raynald, who pays no attention to his order.[2]
March 13 – Saladin leaves
Damascus with his Muslim forces, and sends letters to neighboring countries, asking for volunteers for a forthcoming jihad ("Holy War"). A week later his younger brother
Al-Adil, governor of
Egypt, leads his forces out of Cairo towards
Syria. Meanwhile, Saladin leaves an army under his 18-year-old son
Al-Afdal at
Busra, to keep watch on the 'Pilgrim road'.[3]
May 1 –
Battle of Cresson: A Muslim reconnaissance force (some 7,000 men[4]) under
Muzaffar al-Din Gökböri, defeats a small Crusader army near Nazareth. Only
Gerard de Ridefort, commander of the Crusaders, and a handful of knights escape death or capture. The Muslims scatter and kill the Christian foot-soldiers (some 400 men) before pillaging the countryside.[5]
June 26 – Saladin regroups his Muslim forces and marches towards the
Jordan River. His army numbers around 30,000 men and is divided into three columns. The following day Saladin encamps on the
Golan Heights, in a marshy area near
Lake Tiberias. Raiding parties are sent across the Jordan to ravage Christian territory between Nazareth, Tiberias, and
Mount Tabor.[6]
June 30 – Saladin sends a contingent to block Tiberias and challenges the Crusaders by moving his main camp closer to
Saffuriya – some 10 km west of Lake Tiberias. On
July 1, he sends scouts to monitor an alternative road on his northern flank that connects Saffuriya and Tiberias. The following day he attacks Tiberias with a part of his forces, including siege equipment.[7]
July 2–
3 – Saladin besieges Tiberias. The defenders, and Countess
Eschiva II (wife of Raymond III) retreat to the citadel and sends messengers urging Guy of Lusignan to send help. Meanwhile, Guy and Raymond hold a war council to debate what should be done. Persuaded by Gerard de Ridefort and Raynald of Châtillon, Guy orders to march to the rescue of Tiberias.[8]
July 4 –
Battle of Hattin: Saladin defeats the Crusader army (some 20,000 men) under Guy of Lusignan at the
Horns of Hattin. Guy is captured along with many nobles and knights, among them, Raynald of Châtillon. The latter is executed by Saladin himself.[9] The
Crusader States have no reserves to defend the castles and fortified settlements against Saladin's forces.[10]
July 14 –
Conrad of Montferrat, an Italian nobleman, arrives in
Tyre which ends the surrender negotiations with Saladin. He finds the remnants of the Crusader army (after the battle of Hattin) and makes the Tyrians swear loyalty to him.
Reginald of Sidon and several other nobles give their support, Reginald goes to refortify his own castle of
Beaufort on the
Litani River.[11]
Summer – Saladin begins a campaign that paves the way for further Muslim inroads into Christian territory. Al-Adil invades
Palestine with the Egyptian army, and captures the strategic castle of
Mirabel (
Majdal Yaba). By mid-September, Saladin has captured the cities of
Acre,
Jaffa,
Gaza and
Ascalon (blockaded by the Egyptian fleet), along with some 50 Crusader castles.
September 20–
October 2 –
Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures
Jerusalem, after the Crusaders led by Balian of Ibelin surrender the 'Holy City'. The take-over of the city is relatively peaceful; Saladin agrees to let the Muslims and Christians leave the city, taking with them their goods. Balian joins his wife
Maria Komnene and family, in the
County of Tripoli.
November –
Richard of Poitou, son of King
Henry II, take the
Cross to help capture Jerusalem from the Muslims. He empties his coffers for the mission and makes a deal with King
William the Lion of
Scotland, giving him full feudal autonomy in return for cash.
Orio Mastropiero, doge of
Venice, secures loans from the Venetian nobility to finance the siege of
Zadar. Pledging the income from the Salt Office becomes a staple of the city's finance.[15]
^Choniates, Nicetas (1984). O City of Byzantium, Annals of Niketas Choniatēs, pp. 212–213. Translated by Harry J. Magoulias. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.
ISBN0-8143-1764-2.
^David Nicolle (1993). Osprey: Campaign series – 19. Hattin 1187, Saladin's Greatest Victory, p. 57.
ISBN1-85532-284-6. According to David Nicolle, Gökböri's force was said to consist of 7,000 men though this is a huge exaggeration, 700 seeming more likely.
^Steven Runciman (1952). A History of The Crusades. Vol II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem, pp. 369–370.
ISBN978-0-241-29876-3.
^David Nicolle (1993). Osprey: Campaign series – 19. Hattin 1187, Saladin's Greatest Victory, p. 61.
ISBN1-85532-284-6.
^Steven Runciman (1952). A History of The Crusades. Vol II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem, p. 371.
ISBN978-0-241-29876-3.
^David Nicolle (1993). Osprey: Campaign series – 19. Hattin 1187, Saladin's Greatest Victory, pp. 61–62.
ISBN1-85532-284-6.
^Steven Runciman (1952). A History of The Crusades. Vol II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem, p. 375.
ISBN978-0-241-29876-3.
^Smail, R. C. (1995). Crusading Warfare, 1097–1193, p. 33 (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
ISBN978-0-521-45838-2.
^David Nicolle (2005). Osprey: Campaign series – 161. The Third Crusade 1191: Richard the Lionheart, Saladin and the struggle for Jerusalem, p. 16.
ISBN978-1-84176-868-7.