The Major Events of the Third Crusade

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Throughout popular culture, the Muslim and Christian worlds are described as being in a constant state of war and enmity. They are bitter enemies who were always trying to gain complete control over the other. However, this view is not historically accurate. Actually, there were many times when the Europeans and Muslims worked together to fight a common foe. This camaraderie is exemplified in the Third Crusade. Contrary to the popular belief, the Byzantine Empire (an Orthodox Christian empire) and Saladin (the leader of a Muslim empire) made a military alliance in order to combat the Western European (Catholic) Crusaders during the Third Crusade (1188-1892). The extent of the alliance is seen in the diplomatic and military actions between these mighty powers. This paper will detail the major events of the Third Crusade, how this unlikely union came into fruition, and the historical evidence confirming this alliance.
The Third Crusade was instigated by the collapse of the Outremer (Crusader states) in the late 12th century. During this time, numerous Muslims factions began to reconquer various parts of the Levant. In Syria, the Nur al-Din of Aleppo took control over Syria and unified it under a single ruler. Egypt was later captured in 1168 by al-Din's commander Shirkuh. However, the final blow for the Outremer was struck by Saladin in 1185 with his establishment of the Egypto-Syrian Empire. In addition to this imminent threat, the Crusader states, especially the Kingdom of Jerusalem were plagued by unfit leadership and political instability (Tyerman 2005, 30).
The insecurity in the Kingdom of Jerusalem was ignited by a lack of Western European aid and change of leadership. From 1163-1992, the Kingdom of Jerusalem experienced fiv...

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...the mosque of Constantinople, the preacher "delivered the khutbah for the Abbassid caliph," (Ibn Shaddad 121). There was no greater honor the Emperor of Constantinople can give to his Muslim ally than this distinction.
In conclusion, throughout the Third Crusade, the Byzantine empire and Saladin engaged in a military alliance against the forces of the Catholic crusaders. Diplomatic relations between these two empires as well as the military expeditions confirmed the existing pact. The formation and multiple renewals of this alliance dispels the myth of undying hatred between Muslims and all Christians during the Crusades. In actuality, the Orthodox Byzantine empire aided Saladin in his initial conquests of the Levant and defended his interests. It may have been this loyalty that propelled the sacking of Constantinople by Catholic crusaders in the Fourth Crusade.

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