The Battle of Hattin

King Guy de Lusignan of the Kingdom of Jerusalem was parched, overheated, and his eyes were stung by the acrid smoke. The Sea of Galilee was nearby. He wanted to throw himself into the waters right then, but he could not. Saladin's army had already surrounded them on all sides. The knights of the Kingdom of Jerusalem fought desperately to break through the siege. The royal guard also resisted Saladin's attacks with all their might. However, one by one, they fell under the swords of Saladin's troops.

 

 

1. The Establishment of the Ayyubid Dynasty
In 1174, Saladin conquered the Fatimid dynasty of Egypt. He then went on to take control of the Zengid dynasty as well. As a result, Saladin ruled over both Egypt and Syria, establishing his own dynasty known as the Ayyubid dynasty. At the heart of the Ayyubid dynasty was the Kingdom of Jerusalem, which had been established by the Crusaders. While the Ayyubid dynasty was Muslim, the Kingdom of Jerusalem was Christian. The relationship between the two religions was very hostile, and it was only a matter of time before conflict erupted.

 

2. The Peace Between the Two Kings
Saladin, at the height of his power, launched an army to attack the Kingdom of Jerusalem, but he was defeated by King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem at the Battle of Montgisard. Following this defeat, the two kingdoms signed a truce. For a time, peace prevailed between the two religious factions. After the battle, King Baldwin IV, despite suffering from leprosy, worked hard to maintain peace between the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Muslim forces. However, despite his efforts, peace was disrupted by others. The Crusader knight Reynald of Châtillon, Duke of Antioch, and his forces openly attacked Muslims, defying the king's efforts at peace. Baldwin IV, unable to control them, died in 1185 due to his worsening condition.

 

3. The Shaky Peace
With no heirs, Baldwin IV's nephew, a young boy, ascended the throne. However, the young king died before even completing a year on the throne. This led to the crown passing to Sibylla of Jerusalem's husband, Guy de Lusignan. His ascension to the throne caused turmoil in the royal court as factions supporting and opposing his reign clashed violently. At one point, the situation almost escalated into a civil war. Thankfully, Baldwin of Ibelin, Lord of Ibelin, intervened to mediate, preventing a full-scale civil war. Meanwhile, Count Raymond III of Tripoli personally negotiated a truce with Saladin. Saladin requested that Raymond allow his troops to pass through his territory, which Raymond agreed to. Around this time, the leadership of the Knights Templar and the Hospitaller Order was moving toward Raymond’s land, aiming to mediate between Raymond and King Guy. However, they encountered Saladin's forces and fought a fierce battle, suffering near-total destruction, with only four survivors, including the Grand Master of the Knights Templar. This marked the beginning of the war between the Kingdom of Jerusalem and Saladin.

 

4. Saladin's Trap
Both sides raised armies. Saladin, eager to end the war quickly, understood that his Ayyubid dynasty was not a centralized state but rather a coalition of regional lords. If the war dragged on, these lords would likely abandon him as the harvest season approached. To prevent this, Saladin devised a plan to lure the Kingdom of Jerusalem’s army into the desert and destroy them. Saladin first attacked Tiberias, a small and easily defensible place under Raymond's control. After capturing Tiberias' outer fortress, Saladin refrained from capturing the inner fortress immediately, stalling to lure the Jerusalem army into pursuit. The royal court of Jerusalem, hearing of the siege, decided to come to Tiberias's aid. Raymond, however, opposed this, suspecting it was part of Saladin's trap. Even though his wife was in Tiberias, Raymond refused to send reinforcements, arguing it was too dangerous. His decision led to accusations of cowardice, and ultimately, the Kingdom of Jerusalem’s army marched to Tiberias.

 

5. The Size of the Armies
The Kingdom of Jerusalem mobilized nearly all its forces, including the Knights Templar and Hospitaller Order. The total size of their army was about 20,000, comprising 1,200 knights, 3,000 heavy infantry, 500 Turkish cavalry, and 15,000 foot soldiers. In contrast, Saladin's army numbered around 30,000, most of which were cavalry, including Arab, Bedouin, and Turkic cavalry, as well as foot soldiers from Egypt.

 

6. The Heat and Thirst
On July 3, 1187, the Kingdom of Jerusalem's army set out from Sepphoris, leaving behind a reliable water source. As they marched, Saladin’s cavalry harassed them. The damage to the Jerusalem army was not severe, but their progress slowed. The Jerusalem forces were marching through the desert under the scorching midday sun. The heat and thirst were exhausting, and the constant harassment by Saladin's cavalry further wore them down. After marching for half a day, they found a well and rested briefly. However, as they resumed their march towards Tiberias, Saladin's cavalry attacked again, forcing them to take up a defensive position on a hill called the Horns of Hattin.

 

7. The Annihilation of the Jerusalem Army
By the time they reached the Horns of Hattin, the Jerusalem army was already exhausted by the heat and thirst. Saladin’s forces did not let up, starting fires that filled the air with choking smoke, suffocating the defenders. Although the Sea of Galilee was nearby, Saladin's forces had already surrounded them, making escape impossible. The knights of the Jerusalem army made a desperate charge toward the lake, but this fractured their forces, leaving them vulnerable to Saladin’s army, which overwhelmed and destroyed them. The royal guard fought bravely to the last, but the annihilation of the Jerusalem army was inevitable.

 

8. The Outcome of the Battle
Approximately 3,000 of the Jerusalem army survived, but the rest were nearly all killed. Many of their commanders were taken prisoner. On the other hand, Saladin's forces suffered minimal casualties. With no more defenders left, the Kingdom of Jerusalem was effectively destroyed, and the Christian world of Europe was shocked by the news. In response, the Third Crusade was launched, led by King Philip II of France, King Richard I of England, and Emperor Frederick I of the Holy Roman Empire. The Crusades were far from over.