Siege of Acre

The Siege of Acre was the most important event of the Third Crusade, lasting from August 28, 1189 until July 12, 1191, and the first time in the history of the crusades that the king was compelled to personally see to the defense of the Holy Land. It was also the deadliest event of the whole period of the crusades, for the Christian ruling class of the east.

The double siege

During the autumn, more European crusades arrived, allowing Guy to blockade Acre by land. News of the imminent arrival of Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor reached the crusaders, which not only raised the morale of the Christian soldiers, but also compelled Saladin to bring in so many more troops that he was able to surround both the city and the crusade camp in two separate sieges.

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The next fifteen months passed with no major actions on either side. On October 31 fifty Muslim galleys broke through the Christian sea blockade and supplied the city with food and weapons. On December 26, an Egyptian fleet arrived to reestablish control over the port and the road leading to it. In March, 1190, when the weather was better, Conrad travelled to Tyre on his own ship and soon returned with supplies for the crusaders, which helped the resistance against the Egyptian fleet on the shore. The building materials brought by Conrad were constructed into siege machinery, although these machines were lost when the crusaders tried to assault the city on May 5.

Related Topics:
October 31 - Galley - December 26 - 1190 - Siege machinery - May 5

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On May 19 Saladin, who had continued to strengthen his army over the previous months, began an attack on the Christian camp, which lasted eight days before it could be repelled. On July 25, against the orders of their commanders, the Christian soldiers attacked Saladin?s right flank and were defeated. Further reinforcements from France arrived in the crusader camp over the summer, led by Henry II of Champagne, Theobald V of Blois, Stephen I of Sancerre, Ralph of Clermont, John of Fontigny, Alain of Saint-Valéry, the Archbishop of Besançon, the Bishop of Blois, and the Bishop of Toul. Frederick VI, Duke of Swabia arrived at the beginning of October with the rest of his father?s army, after the emperor drowned in the Saleph River on June 10, and shortly afterwards English crusaders arrived under Baldwin of Exeter, Archbishop of Canterbury. In October the Count of Bar also arrived, and the Christians had a breakthrough in Haifa, which allowed more food to be brought to the camp at Acre.

Related Topics:
May 19 - July 25 - Henry II of Champagne - Theobald V of Blois - Frederick VI, Duke of Swabia - Saleph River - June 10 - English - Baldwin of Exeter - Archbishop of Canterbury - Haifa

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Life in the city and the Christian camp quickly became difficult after their containment by Saladin. Food remained limited, the water supply was insufficient, hygiene was disregarded entirely, and epidemics soon began to spread. Louis of Thuringia, sick with malaria, made plans to return home when the French arrived, and died in Cyprus on the way back on October 16. In the autumn, Guy?s wife Queen Sibylla died, a few days after both of their daughters, and with her death Guy lost his claim to the throne of Jerusalem, as Sibylla was the legal heiress.

Related Topics:
Malaria - October 16 - Queen Sibylla

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The barons of the kingdom used this opportunity to rid themselves of Guy, and arranged the marriage of Conrad to Sibylla?s half-sister Isabella of Jerusalem, although both were already married, which made it difficult to find a priest willing to perform the ceremony: Patriarch Heraclius was sick, and his appointed representative Baldwin of Exeter died suddenly on November 19. Therefore it was the Archbishop of Pisa and papal legate, as well as the Bishop of Beauvais, who gave their consent to divorce Isabella from her husband Humphrey IV of Toron on November 24. Conrad then ruled in Guy?s place, and withdrew with Isabella to Tyre, where she gave birth to a daughter, Maria the next year, ensuring the continuation of the ruling dynasty.

Related Topics:
Isabella of Jerusalem - Patriarch Heraclius - November 19 - Papal legate - Humphrey IV of Toron - November 24 - Maria

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Saladin?s army was now so large that it was impossible for any more crusaders to arrive by land, and winter meant that no more supplies or reinforcements could arrive by sea. In the Christian camp the leaders began to succumb to the epidemics. Theobald of Blois and Stephen of Sancerre died, and Frederick of Swabia also died on January 20, 1191. Henry of Champagne struggled with sickness for many weeks before recovering. Leopold V of Austria, who arrived early in the spring, took control of the Christian forces. On December 31 another attempt to breach the walls failed, and on January 6, 1191, the partial collapse of the walls led to (the Christians in droves overflowed to the Muslims?). On February 13, Saladin succeeded in breaking through the Christian lines and reaching the city, so that he could replace the exhausted defenders with a new garrison; otherwise the old garrison would have all died of disease. In March, however, when the weather was better and ships could once again unload supplies on the coast, the danger of failure was again averted for the Christians. These ships also brought news that Kings Philip II of France and Richard I of England were on their way, and that Saladin?s chance for victory had slipped away.

Related Topics:
January 20 - Leopold V of Austria - December 31 - January 6 - February 13 - Philip II of France - Richard I of England

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