Comparing King Richard I And The Christian Army During The Crusades

The word crusade means “take up the cross.” Christians were encouraged to take a stand for God during the Crusades, a series of holy wars beginning in 1096 and lasting for almost 200 years. These battles were the first time in history that an army was assembled for strictly religious reason (Jewish History). King Richard I of England led the Christian army during the Third Crusade, while Sultan Salah-al-Din led the Muslims. The two had similar personality traits and style of rule, and their respect for each other earned them a reputation of being two of the bravest and overall best leaders throughout history.

The Crusades began when Muslim armies began to attack the Byzantine Empire, taking control of the Holy land of Jerusalem. The Byzantine

Emperor, Alexius I, called on Pope Urban II for help. Urban agreed, and decided to raise an army to help the recapture the holy lands. One preacher, Peter the Hermit, said that all the world’s troubles would settle into peace and tranquility if they could recapture Jerusalem, which hadn’t been in Christian control for over 460 years (Jewish History). On November 27, 1095, Urban gave a speech to a council of French nobles at Clermont that would forever change history. He said, “On this account I, or rather the Lord, beseech you as Christ's heralds to publish this everywhere and to persuade all people of whatever rank, foot-soldiers and knights, poor and rich, to carry aid promptly to those Christians and to destroy that vile race from the lands of our friends. I say this to those who are present, it meant also for those who are absent. Moreover, Christ commands it. All who die by the way, whether by land or by sea, or in battle against the pagans, shall have immediate remission of sins. This I grant them through the power of God with which I am invested.” (Fulcher). By guaranteeing anyone a pass into heaven that joined the army, Urban’s speech gave many people, young or old, motivation to go fight for their religion. Over 60,000 individuals looking to be redeemed took up the call, but only 15,000 survived the trek to Jerusalem (Jewish History). The Crusaders journeyed through areas of scorching heat, as well as terrain covered in deep snow. Disease was very common, according to survivors of the First Crusade, because they had to go without water for quite some time. Some were reduced to drinking their own urine, the blood of animals, or sewage water (History Learning Site). When the Crusaders finally arrived in 1098, they defeated the Muslim armies on multiple occurrences. The Christians officially conquered Jerusalem in 1099, marking the ending of the first crusade (Jewish History). This was the only crusade that accomplished the main goal of capturing the holy lands; the rest were unsuccessful.
Following their victory, the Christians set about building their land. They tried to extend their lands by capturing Damascus and other cities not along the coast, but failed (Jewish History). The Muslims still sought to drive the Christians from Jerusalem, and they continued to send threats. The Christians were angry, and responded to these threats by proclaiming the Second Crusade. They stopped and destroyed many Jewish communities on the way to save their empire, so by the time they reached the Middle East, they were exhausted and it would have been impossible to beat the Muslims. The Second Crusade was led by Louis VII of France and Conrad III of Germany. The two kings split up the crusaders, which also made it easy for the Muslims to defeat them. Sultan Saladin recaptured Jerusalem, and successfully united Syria and Egypt against the Christians. The Crusaders never recovered from this devastating loss (The Second Crusade).
The Third Crusade began in 1189, and lasted until 1192. It was led by two great rulers: King Richard I of England (commonly known as Richard the Lionheart), and Sultan Salah-al-Din of Egypt (known as Saladin). Richard led the Crusade army to first capture Cyprus, followed by the port of Acre in July of 1191 (Third Crusade, 1189-1192). This was a major location for the Christians, because it was the port closest to the Holy city. At this point, however, King Philip II of France and his army were tired of Richard’s overbearing rule, and they decided to retreat back to their country, leaving Richard and his men to fend for themselves (King Richard the Lionheart). They marched south towards Jerusalem, but suffered because of the scorching heat and a severe lack of water. After a victory in the Battle of Arsuf in September of 1191, the remaining crusaders spent the winter in Jaffa. They resumed their march to Jerusalem in June 1192 (Richard of Lionheart). When they finally arrived, Richard’s army consisted of only 2,000 men and 50 knights fit for battle; nowhere near enough soldiers to even attempt to defeat Saladin’s army. Instead of fighting, they came to a truce, called the Treaty of Ramla. This agreement concluded that the pilgrims from the west would be allowed to visit Jerusalem without being troubled by the Muslims. Neither Richard nor Saladin particularly liked the truce, because it only temporarily solved the problem, but both sides were worn out. So, in October 1192, Richard sailed for Western Europe, never to return to the Holy Land (The Third Crusade).
Richard the Lionheart had been very passionate and eager to lead the Christian army since Saladin’s capture of Jerusalem during the second crusade.

Those who admired Richard said of him: “A very powerful man, of great courage and spirit. He fought great battles and showed a burning passion for war. The king was indeed a man of wisdom, experience, courage, and energy… excitable, brave, and clever.” (The Third Crusade). Even those who did not approve of his tactics agreed of his bravery: “Richard was not a good king. He cared only for his soldiers. But he was very brave.” (The Third Crusade). It is clear that Richard was a fierce warrior, and was very good to his men. Although he displayed chivalry, his temper often times got the best of him. When the Crusaders took the city of Acre, Leopold, Duke of Austria, set up his banner on the walls. Richard didn’t think it ought to be there, so he became furious and threw it down into the ditch, asking the duke how he dare take the honors of a king (King Richard the Lionheart). His controlling behavior is also what caused King Philip and his soldiers to leave. When Richard realized that his army was far too small and weak to defeat Saladin’s, he was very upset. He knew it was his own fault for not displaying the attitude that he should have, and so he came to the top of a hill where Jerusalem could be seen, and would not look at the city. Instead, he turned away and cried out, “They who are not worthy to win it are not worthy to behold it.” (King Richard the

Lionheart).
Sultan Saladin was also very dedicated to leading his army. Some said that he did not spend a single gold or silver coin on anything except a jihad, or holy war. Out of his desire to defend the city, he left behind his family, children, country, home, and all the towns under his control (The Third Crusade). His sacrifices were great, and his people were very thankful for all of his accomplishments. “Saladin used the idea of a holy war to bring the Muslims together. His popularity with the poor people increased… Friends and enemies saw Saladin as a man of honor. Even the Christians praised him. However, he was criticized for fighting against his fellow Muslims and for failing to capture Tyre. Nevertheless, Saladin continues to be admired today.” (The Third Crusade). When Saladin captured Jerusalem, he let the inhabitants of the city leave safely, out of respect for Jerusalem’s status as a holy place. This action of his gained him lots of praise from the people, increasing his already large popularity. He was very well liked by most everyone, and it was said: “I never saw him insult anyone. He always stuck to his word and was loyal.” (The Third Crusade). While Richard and Saladin were enemies, they each respected one another. “Richard the Lionheart fell ill with a fever and appealed to Saladin to send him pears and peaches. Saladin sent him fruit and snow from the mountains to cool his blood.” (The Third Crusade). Saladin also offered his personal doctor to help Richard heal, and sent one of his horses when Richard’s proved lame. The two leaders had opposing views, yet Saladin’s generosity was always present.
Saladin and Richard not only had very similar personalities, but the way they ruled was alike as well. Each of them placed a huge significance on military, which is why many of the English were not fond of Richard. He was only at home for six months of the ten years that he was their ruler, because he was always away with the army. While he was raising money to finance for the Third Crusade, he said, “If I could have found a buyer, I would have sold London itself.” (King Richard the Lionheart). Richard did not genuinely care for England, but desired to be King so that he could lead the crusade. Saladin placed a lot of emphasis on his military as -- many is that the Crusaders would not have won any of the battles that they did if not for Richard and his bravery, because Saladin’s army was so strong.
The military achievements of Sultan Saladin vouch for the quality of his soldiers and his leadership. The Christian army was only able to defeat them a small number of times: the battles of Cyprus, Acre, Iconium, and Arsuf. Both Saladin and Richard were said to be some of the greatest military leaders in all of history, which is why every battle was long and hard fought.
The Crusades were a crucial time; because that was the first time a war was waged for religious purposes. King Richard and Sultan Saladin made it possible for anyone to visit Jerusalem in the Treaty of Ramla, which was a major improvement from the way things had been before. The two were both a great example for future leaders in the chivalry that they displayed, and their bravery throughout difficult times. Richard’s nickname even attests to his heroism- he will forever be remembered as “lion-hearted.” Saladin is recognized for his ability to unite the Muslims, and everyone, including the Christians, respected him. Although they were enemies, they were willing to help another out when it was needed. They quite possibly could have become friends if circumstances had allowed, and they hadn’t been fighting against each other.