Kingdom of Jerusalem

The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a French kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 by the First Crusade. It was finally destroyed in 1291 with the fall of Acre.

Disaster and recovery

Amalric was succeeded by his young son, Baldwin IV, who was discovered at a very young age to be a leper. During Baldwin's reign the Kingdom began to collapse internally, as factions formed behind Baldwin's cousin, Count Raymond III of Tripoli, who led the "nobles' party" of native barons, and Baldwin's incompetent brother-in-law, Guy of Lusignan, who led the "court party", backed by the royal family and relative newcomers to the kingdom.

Related Topics:
Baldwin IV - Leper - Raymond III of Tripoli - Guy of Lusignan

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Baldwin IV died in 1185, and was succeeded by his infant nephew Baldwin V, son of his sister Sibylla. Baldwin V died within a year and the kingdom passed to his mother Sibylla and her husband Guy. Guy proved a disastrous ruler. His close ally Raynald of Chatillon, the lord of Oultrejourdan and the fortress of Kerak, provoked Saladin into open war, and in 1187 the army of the Kingdom was utterly destroyed at the Battle of Hattin. Over the next few months Saladin easily overran the entire Kingdom, save for the port of Tyre, which was ably defended by the newcomer Conrad of Montferrat.

Related Topics:
1185 - Baldwin V - Sibylla - Raynald of Chatillon - Oultrejourdan - Kerak - Saladin - 1187 - Battle of Hattin - Conrad of Montferrat

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The fall of Jerusalem shocked Europe, resulting in the Third Crusade. Due to the efforts of Richard the Lion-Hearted, most of the coastal cities of Syria, especially Acre, were recovered, and the Treaty of Ramla was signed with Saladin in 1192 after the Battle of Arsuf. Conrad of Montferrat was married to Isabella, daughter of Amalric I, and made King of this rump state, but he was killed by the Hashshashin almost immediately thereafter. Isabella was married again to Henry II of Champagne.

Related Topics:
Fall of Jerusalem - Third Crusade - Richard the Lion-Hearted - Acre - Treaty of Ramla - Saladin - 1192 - Battle of Arsuf - Isabella - Hashshashin - Henry II of Champagne

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