The Road to Hattin: Division and Provocation
Introduction
In the summer of 1187, the Crusader army of the Kingdom of Jerusalem met its ruin at the Battle of Hattin, near the Sea of Galilee. Within months, Saladin (Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb) would recapture Jerusalem, ending nearly a century of Christian control and inspiring Europe’s response — the Third Crusade (1189–1192).
This one-hour talk explores the political context, the unfolding of the battle itself, and the Crusade that followed, highlighting the military, religious, and cultural repercussions that shaped medieval history.
The Road to Hattin: Division and Provocation
After nearly ninety years of fragile coexistence, the Crusader states were internally divided. Rival factions, noble disputes, and inconsistent leadership under King Guy of Lusignan and Raymond III of Tripoli weakened the kingdom’s unity.
Meanwhile, Saladin had consolidated Egypt and Syria, uniting the Muslim world with a call for jihad to reclaim the Holy Land.
In 1187, Raynald of Châtillon broke a truce by attacking a Muslim caravan on its way to Mecca. This act gave Saladin the moral and political justification for war. His response was swift and decisive.
Prelude to the Battle
Saladin’s army — estimated around 40,000 men — crossed the Jordan River in June 1187, advancing toward Tiberias. Despite internal warnings, King Guy led the Crusader host out from Sepphoris to relieve the siege of Tiberias.
It was a fatal decision. The march across arid ground under extreme heat left the Crusaders exhausted, parched, and exposed to constant harassment by Muslim cavalry.
That night, Saladin’s troops set fire to dry grass, choking the Crusaders in smoke and heat. By dawn on 4 July 1187, they were encircled near a double hill known as the Horns of Hattin.
The Battle of Hattin – 4 July 1187
Saladin’s forces surrounded the Crusaders, cutting off access to water. Mounted knights tried several desperate charges but were driven back by volleys of arrows and coordinated counterattacks.
The True Cross, a revered Christian relic carried into battle, was captured during the melee — a devastating psychological blow.
By afternoon, the Crusader army disintegrated. Survivors clustered on the volcanic hills, surrounded and exhausted. King Guy and his nobles were taken captive. Saladin reportedly wept with emotion as victory was secured.
The Aftermath: Fall of Jerusalem
The defeat at Hattin shattered the Crusader military presence in the Holy Land. Within months, Saladin’s armies swept through key fortresses — Acre, Jaffa, Ascalon, and Bethlehem — before reaching Jerusalem.
After a brief siege, Jerusalem surrendered in October 1187. Unlike the bloody conquest of 1099, Saladin allowed most Christians to ransom themselves or depart peacefully.
The loss sent shockwaves across Christendom. Pope Gregory VIII issued the papal bull Audita Tremendi, calling for a new crusade to reclaim the Holy City.
The Third Crusade (1189–1192)
Europe’s response was monumental. Three of its most powerful monarchs took the cross:
Richard I of England (the Lionheart)
Philip II of France
Frederick I Barbarossa, Holy Roman Emperor
Barbarossa’s expedition through Anatolia ended tragically when he drowned in 1190, but his death did not halt the crusade.
Richard and Philip arrived by sea and began the Siege of Acre (1189–1191). After nearly two years, the city fell — a hard-won victory that restored a coastal base for the Crusaders.
The Battle of Arsuf
Marching south from Acre, Richard’s disciplined formations met Saladin’s army at Arsuf (7 September 1191). Despite repeated attacks, Richard’s counter-charge shattered Saladin’s lines — one of the few clear Christian victories of the campaign.
The Stalemate and the Treaty of Jaffa
Though Richard approached Jerusalem twice, logistical difficulties and fears of overextension forced him to retreat. In 1192, the two leaders negotiated the Treaty of Jaffa, guaranteeing safe pilgrimage routes to Jerusalem while keeping the city under Muslim control.
Legacy and Historical Significance
The Battle of Hattin marked the effective end of the Crusader Kingdom’s power in the interior of Palestine. The Third Crusade, though it achieved limited territorial gains, preserved a Christian presence on the coast and allowed peaceful pilgrimage to holy sites.
Historians often view these events as a turning point:
The last moment of large-scale European unity under the Crusader banner.
The emergence of Richard the Lionheart and Saladin as legendary warrior-kings.
A prelude to later, less successful crusading efforts.
Even today, the battle and its aftermath symbolise the clash of faith, politics, and leadership that defined the medieval Mediterranean world.
Sources
Battle of Hattin, Wikipedia (link)
Audita Tremendi — Papal Bull (1187), Wikipedia (link)
The Third Crusade (1189–1192) — World History Encyclopedia
Jonathan Riley-Smith, The Crusades: A History (Yale University Press, 2005)
Thomas Asbridge, The Crusades: The War for the Holy Land (2010)
Steven Runciman, A History of the Crusades, Vol. 2 (Cambridge University Press, 1952)