chronological 1150

• 1150: Fatimid rulers fortify the Egyptian city of Ascalon with 53 towers.
• 1151: Henry (soon to be Henry II of England) becomes the duke of Normandy.
• 1152: Eleanor of Aquitaine's marriage to Louis VII is annulled (her involvement in the Second Crusade was blamed by some for its failure). She marries Henry II. (Eleanor would give birth to Richard the Lionheart, one of the leaders of the Third Crusade). Louis VII and Henry II fight over her lands in Aquitaine. Conrad III of Germany dies, and is succeeded in Frankfurt by his nephew Frederick I (called Frederick 'Barbarossa'; Holy Roman Emperor: 1152-90). Baldwin III is crowned king of Jerusalem.
• 1153, August 20: St. Bernard of Clairvaux dies. Bernard had founded the famous abbey at Clairvaux and was largely responsible for inspiring many Europeans to set off on the Second Crusade. The failures of the Second Crusade deeply troubled Bernard and he had blamed them on the sins of the Crusaders themselves.
• 1153: The newly appointed papal chancellor (later to be Pope Alexander III) is sent to negotiate the Treaty of Constance with Emperor Frederick I (called Frederick 'Barbarossa'). King Baldwin III of Jerusalem captures Ascalon after a siege of several months, thus drawing Egypt into an alliance with the Turks in Palestine. Reynald of (de) Chatillon is named Prince of Antioch. Crusade in Spain.
• 1154, April 25: Because European Crusaders had laid siege to the city in 1148 despite the existence of a truce with them, citizens of Damascus decide that the Crusaders could no longer be trusted and hand control over to Nur ad-Din Mahmud bin Zengi. In assuming control of this city, Nur ad-Din is able to unite all of Muslim Syria. One of Nur ad-Din's lieutenants, Saladin (Salah-al-Din Yusuf ib-Ayyub), would rise to prominence in the coming conflicts. Louis VII of France renounces all claims to the duchy of Aquitaine. Henry II, first of the Plantagenêt monarchs of England, defeats King of England Steven of Blois and becomes the new King of England (1154-89).
• 1155: Successful Byzantine campaign in Italy. Frederick I of the Holy Roman Empire, (called Frederick Barbarossa) is crowned emperor by Pope Adrian IV. King Baldwin III enters into an alliance with Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Comnenus in order to more effectively counter the growing threat from Nur ad-Din.
• 1156: In a letter Pope Adrian IV angers Frederick I of the Holy Roman Empire (called Frederick Barbarossa) by implying that the Emperor holds his lands only as a fief from the pope. Frederick I gives Henry the Lion, duke of Saxony, the duchy of Bavaria. In return, Henry the Lion helps his wars against Poland and Italy during the next three years. Baldwin III signs a peace treaty with Nur ad-Din, but the following year he would break it and capture the city of Narim. Reynald of (de) Chatillon, Prince of Antioch, launches an attack against Cyprus.
• 1157: Louis VII of France continues fighting Henry II of England (sporadically, for the next three years). Eric of Sweden conquers Finland. A strong earthquake hits Syria. Through the previous couple of years, numerous earthquakes had been recorded all through the Levant. September 08: Richard I Lionheart of England is born. Richard would be one of the leaders of the Third Crusade. October: Nur ad-Din is struck by a severe illness, halting his steady campaign against the Crusaders.
• 1157-58: Crusade in Spain, initiated by ___ and led by ___.
• 1157-84: Series of papal calls to Crusade in the East, answered by some small and medium-sized expeditions.
• 1158: Frederick I of the Holy Roman Empire (called Frederick Barbarossa) issues the degrees of Roncaglia. He angers the Lombards by demanding that he be allowed to appoint the governor in each town (struggles continue till 1158). Fredrick I also goes to war with Milan. Foundation of the Order of Calatrava. Baldwin III defeats Seljuk ruler Nur ad-Din.
• 1159: Pope Adrian IV dies. Alexander III becomes Pope.
• 1160's: Series of invasions by Crusaders into Egypt. Raymond (Reynald?) of (de) Chatillon is captured during a Muslim ambush and is imprisoned for 14 years in Aleppo. Once released, his hatred of Islam and Muslims would be even greater than before and would be instrumental in the Third Crusade being launched.
• 1162, February 10: King Baldwin III dies at Tripoli and control of Jerusalem passes to his brother, Amalric I. Amalric's chief goal is the conquest of Egypt and, in fact, his continual failure to capture Egypt may have been an important cause of the decline in power of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.
• 1163: The 'Retrais et etablissements de Temple', consisting of some 675 additional articles, was added to the rule, covering the conventual life, defining the hierarchical status, regulating the chapters, election of the grand master, determining the penance and punishments for violations of the rule and statutes and admission to the Order. Pope Alexander III (1158-81) issued a Bull recognising the amended rule. The following motto was inscribed on the Templars’ black and white standard: Non nobis, Domine, non nobis sed nomini tuo da gloriam. The seal showed two knights on horseback (one as a soldier, the other a pilgrim) with the inscription: Sigillum militum Christi. When this amended rule was translated into French it became known as The French Ancient Rule. By the mid 13th century an Aragonese translation known as The Catalan Rule became accepted in the Iberian kingdoms, requiring the Templars to swear fealty to their rulers unlike elsewhere in Europe. Spanish and Portuguese Templars limited their fighting against Islam to the Iberian peninsula. By this date various knightly orders had been founded in the Spanish kingdoms, such as the orders of Alcantara, Calatrava and Santiago.
• 1163: Nur ad-Din lays siege the fortress of Krak des Chevaliers (headquarters of the Knights Hospitaller in Syria) but fails to take it. September: Amalric I, king of Jerusalem. launches his first invasion of Egypt. He manages to get as far as the Nile, but is turned back by the flooding.
• 1163-69: Egypt and Jerusalem are in a constant state of war. Expeditions to Egypt of King Amalric of Jerusalem, competing with Shirkuh, who finally wins and is proclaimed Vizier of Egypt. During this time one of Nur ad-Din's lieutenants, Saladin (Salah al-Din), rises to prominence.
• 1163-74: Amaury, King of Jerusalem.
• 1164: Henry II argues with the archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas a' Becket, and attempts to decree that priest accused of crimes should be charged by royal courts. May: Shawar is reinstated as Vizier of Cairo with the help of Nur ad-Din Mahmud bin Zengi. July: A joint army of Egyptians and Franks besiege Shirkun in Bilbeis.
• 1165: William I of Scotland, (called the Lion), and brother of Malcolm IV inherits the throne of Scotland. Pope Alexander III excommunicates Frederick I of the Holy Roman Empire. Cathars have become so numerous in Languedoc that they are able to defy local prelates and meet at Lombers (Lombez) where there heretical doctrines are proclaimed openly. August 21: Philip II Augustus of France is born. Philip would be one of the leaders of the Third Crusade.
• 1166: Henry II of England levies a a general tax on income and movables, to be paid by clergy as well as laity, the proceeds of which are to go to assist the Holy Land; this is the first clearly discernible Crusading tax in the West. Saladin orders the construction of fortifications in Cairo which become known as "The Citadel."
• 1167: Frederick I of the Holy Roman Empire (called Frederick Barbarossa) attacks Rome, setting anti-pope Paschal III on the papal throne. The Lombard league forms, with Pope Alexander III as their leader. Oxford University is founded. Papa Nicetas, a Bogomil heretic from the east, attends an assembly of Cathars leaders in Languedoc at Saint-Felix-de-Caraman (near Toulouse). Amalric I launches his second of three unsuccessful invasions of Egypt, although he briefly captures the city of Cairo. This same year he marries Maria Comnena, grand-niece of Byzantine emperor Manuel I Comnenus.
• 1168: After quarreling with Henry II of England William the Lion of Scotland makes an alliance with France. Henry the Lion, duke of Saxony and Bavaria, marries Henry II of England's daughter Matilda (as his second wife). Arab forces recapture Cairo from the Crusaders. October 10, Amalric I launches his third of three unsuccessful invasions of Egypt. This is a joint project with Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Comnenus Megas. November 01: Amalric I, King of Jerusalem. massacres the inhabitants of Bilbeis, a fortress city on the eastern edge of the southern Nile delta in Egypt. The harsh treatment of locals manages to turn most Egyptians against the Crusaders, even the Coptic Christians who might have otherwise provided valuable aid and intelligence.
• 1168 - 1250: The Ayyubid dynasty, founded by Salah-al-Din Yusuf ib-Ayyub, rules Egypt.
• 1169, January 02: Amalric I, King of Jerusalem. leaves Egypt before Shirkuh and a Syrian army arrive. January 08: Shirkuh, chief advisor and general for Nur ad-Din and Saladin's uncle, enters Cairo. January 17: Vizier Shawar of Cairo is killed and Saladin takes control of both the city and Egypt. March 23: Egypt submits to Saladin*, vizier Shirkuh's nephew, acting on behalf of Nur al-Din. (* Salah Ad-din Yusuf Ibn Ayyub (westernized to "Saladin"), also known as Al-malik An-nasir Salah Ad-din Yusuf I, was sultan of Egypt, Palestine, Syria and Yemen, founded the Ayyubid dynasty, and captured Jerusalem from the Christians. He was the most famous Muslim hero and a consummate military tactician). November: A Byzantine fleet and army attack Damietta, but they are forced to withdraw without accomplishing anything. Christians complete the reconstruction of the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem.
• 1170: Thomas a' Becket is murdered by four of Henry II's knights. Henry II is forced to recognize Thomas a' Becket as a martyr and give up his attempt to make priests subject to the courts. Foundation of the Order of Santiago. Saladin captures the Crusader-controlled city of Eilat, located on the Red Sea.
• 1171: Henry II of England begins the Norman conquest of Ireland. Crusade in the Baltic region: In the bull Non parum animus noster, Pope Alexander III equates Crusades against pagan Estonians and Finns in the north with Crusading in the Holy Land: "We therefore grant to those who fight with might and courage against the aforesaid pagans one year's remission for the sins they confess and receive penance for, trusting in God's mercy and the merits of the apostles Peter and Paul, just as we usually grant to those who visit the Sepulchre of the Lord; and if those who perish in the fight are doing their penance, to them we grant remission of all their sins. Battle of Santarem: The last battle that drives the Muslims out of Portugal. March 12: For a time Byzantine emperor Manuel ends Venetian commercial privileges in Constantinople, a factor that would eventually play in Venice's decision to have the armies of the Fourth Crusade conquer and loot the city. Every Venetian in the empire is arrested and all of their property is confiscated. In retaliation, Venetian ships sack the Byzantine islands of Chios and Lesbos. June: Under orders from Nur ad-Din, Saladin removes the last Fatimid Caliph from power. The Caliph of Egypt would eventually die and the Caliph of Baghdad would be recognized in Egypt. September 10: Saladin announces the formation of the Abbasid Caliphate in Egypt.
• 1172: Henry II of England promises to take the Crossbut then has his promise commuted to the foundation of monastic houses instead.Richard (the soon-to-be king of England, and oldest son of Henry II) inherits the duchy of Aquitaine in France, from his mother. Henry the Lion takes a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Sep 10: 'Abbasid caliphate proclaimed in Egypt by Saladin.
c. 1173: Foundation of the Order of Montegaudio.
• 1173: Eleanor of Aquitaine, and her sons start leading rebellions against Henry II, (her husband and their father). They are supported by the French and Scottish Kings. Eleanor is caught and imprisoned. William the Lion of Scotland invades Northumberland. The Templars murders an envoy from the Assassins. Saladin launches an attack on the Fortress of Kerak but fails.
• 1174-85: Baldwin IV, King of Jerusalem.
• 1174, January: Bernard of Clairvaux is canonized. May 15: Nur ad-Din Mahmud bin Zengi dies. Saladin would eventually take over for him, controlling a Muslim empire that stretches from the Tigris river to the Libyan desert and surrounding the Crusader states on three sides. First, though, Saladin had to defeat ed-Din's son As-Salih Ismail. July 11: Amalric I, king of Jerusalem. dies and is succeeded by his son, Baldwin IV. Baldwin, unfortunately, is only thirteen years old and had been showing signs of leprosy since he was nine - so no one was very confident that he would be able to truly take control of the kingdom. September: Count Raymond of Tripoli is named regent of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Raymond is not a popular choice. Although supported by many barons, the Hospitallers, and others, he is opposed by the Templars and other influential families like the Lusignans. These divisions would plague the Crusaders states and contribute to their eventual downfall. October 28: Saladin captures Damascus and becomes the ruler of both Egypt and Damascus.
• 1174, King Henry II of England is forced to humble himself at the grave of Thomas Becket, canonized the year before. As part of his penance for his complicity in Becket's murder, Henry is required by Pope Alexander III to send twice a year enough funds and supplies to support 200 Templar and Hospitaller knights in the Holy Land. This support would end up playing an important role in financing the Third Crusade. William the Lion of Scotland is captured by the English and released only when he agrees to the Treaty of Falaise promising to recognize Henry II of England as overlord. On his fifth expedition to Italy Frederick I of the Holy Roman Empire (called Frederick Barbarossa) is defeated by the Lombard league. Henry the Lion (duke of Bavaria and Saxony) refuses to help Frederick I, thus angering him.
• 1175: Crusade in Spain. Byzantine emperor Manuel I Comnenus fortifies the Anatolian city of Dorylaeum.1175
Reynald of Chatillon and Joscelin of Courtenay are released by the atabeg of Aleppo. The atabeg was grateful to the Christian Crusaders because they had come to his aid against Saladin. Opposition to Count Raymond of Tripoli coalesces around Reynald and Joscelin.
• c. 1176 Foundation of the Orders of Avis (as the Order of Evora) and Alcantara (as the Order of San Julian del Peirero).
• 1176: Battle of Myriocephalum (Myriokephalon): Muslims (Seljuq) defeat the Byzantines under Manuel I Comnenus Megas and capture the city of Dorylaeum. August: Saladin besieges the city of Masyaf.
• 1177: King Henry II of England and King Louis VII of France lay down rules (Treaty of Nonancourt) which are to govern their behaviour towards each other in the event of one of them going on Crusade or one of them dying. Frederick I of the Holy Roman Empire (called Frederick Barbarossa) is forced to acknowledge Alexander III as pope. Crusade to the East of Philip of Flanders. Sibylla, sister of leper king Baldwin IV and daughter of Amalric I, is married to William of Montferrat. William, however, dies shortly thereafter due to malaria. November 18: Saladin leaves Egypt in the hope of quickly capturing Jerusalem from the Crusaders. A small force of Knights Templar are kept pinned down so that the main army can continue northward. November 25: Battle of Ramleh (Montgisard): Although a force of 500 led by King Baldwin IV attempts to stop Saladin at Ascalon, the same site where an Egyptian relief force was defeated almost one hundred years before, the Egyptian army is able to bypass the Crusaders and continue on towards the goal of Jerusalem. Baldwin is able to join up with the Templars from Gaza, however, and surprise Saladin from the rear. The Egyptian army is routed and Saladin himself barely escapes. The Crusaders are unable to seriously press their unexpected advantage and threaten Saladin's holdings in Damascus or Egypt.
• 1179: Philip Augustus (soon to be Philip II of France) becomes co-regent with his father Louis VII. Saladin defeats Crusader forces at Marj Ayun (Valley of the Springs), capturing the Master of the Knights Templar in the process.
• 1180: Philip Augustus becomes ruler of France, Philip II. Henry the Lion is robbed of most of his possessions by Frederick I (a result of their fight in 1174). Meinhard, an Augustinian monk from Holstein, leads the first attempt to convert Baltic pagans in what most regard as the first steps of the Baltic Crusades. March: Sibylla, sister of King Baldwin IV, marries Guy De Lusignan. King Baldwin also negotiates a peace treaty with Saladin, bringing hostilities to a temporary end. Reynald of (de) Chatillon throws his support behind Guy for the throne of Jerusalem and against Raymond of Tripoli, regent of Jerusalem. September 18: Death of French King Louis VII, one of the leaders of the Second Crusade. September 24: Death of Manuel I Comnenus Megas, Byzantine Emperor. Manuel had let the armies of the Second Crusade pass through his lands on their way to Palestine, but during much of his reign he was at war with various European powers like the Normans and Venice. Manuel is succeeded by his son Alexius II, just eleven years old. Manuel's wife, Maria, is Latin by birth and greatly resented among the people, leading to an insurrection two years later.
• 1181: Philip II of France fights with various French barons to increase his domain (1181-1186). Pope Alexander III dies and is succeeded by Pope Lucius III. Al-Salih Ismail, heir of Nur ad-Din, dies. This allows Saladin to complete his take-over of ad-Din's empire. Reynald of (de) Chatillon raids a large caravan of pilgrims on their way to Mecca. This violates a peace treaty which outrages Saladin.
• 1182: Henry the Lion is exiled by Frederick I. All Jews are banished from France. Andronicus Comnenus leads an insurrection against empress Maria, killing many Italian merchants as well as the young Alexius II, heir to the throne of the Byzantine empire. Andronicus becomes a ruthless leader, killing large numbers of alleged rivals and dissenters. Saladin sets out from Cairo with a large Muslim army. His intention is to link up with other Muslim forces elsewhere, gathering enough soldiers under his immediate command to put an end to the Crusader states once and for all.
• 1183: Frederick I of the Holy Roman Empire (called Frederick Barbarossa) is forced to sign the Peace of Constance; fierce struggle with the Lombard towns ends. Henry II's heir, Henry, is killed, and Richard the Lion-hearted becomes the next in line for the throne.
• 1182: Massacre of Latins in Constantinople.
• 1183, Jun 11: Aleppo submits to Saladin. Reynald of (de) Chantillon, Prince of Antioch, launches a military expedition down the Red Sea. His intention is to invade Arabia and travel to Mecca where he would destroy Muhammed's tomb and smash the Kaaba. He takes with him a small force, lands at el-Haura, and is surprised by an Egyptian group that had been marching to Mecca already. Only a few, including Reynald, manage to escape. September 17: Saladin leaves Damascus with a large Muslim army and heads for the Crusader states. He meets the Crusader forces at the Pools of Goliath but the Christians retreat to Jerusalem. Guy of Lusignan's decision to withdraw here causes him to lose the confidence of other Christian leaders who now come to believe that he is indecisive at best, but more likely a coward.
• 1184: Meinhard oversees the building of the Christian church built in the Baltic region: the village of Uexk_?_ll (PM: CHECK THE NAME)(in modern-day Latvia). Saladin launches a second attack on the Fortress of Kerak, but fails again. Isaac Comnenus takes control of Cyprus. Isaac is a great-nephew of Manuel I and had launched a rebellion against the harsh rule of Byzantine emperor Andronicus, establishing an independent kingdom in Cyprus. Constantinople is far too weak to crush this rebellion and Isaac would hold on to power for 7 years.
• 1184-85: Special embassy from Outremer (the patriarch and the two masters of the military orders) sent to Europe to emphasize the gravity of the situation to the rulers of the West, to try to make them see that something decisive must be done if there were any chance of saving Jerusalem. 1184, Nov: Ambassadors meet pope Lucius III and the emperor Frederick I at Verona. Frederick promises a Crusade for 1186. Ambassadors meet Kings Philip Augustus and Henry II (both assure them of their good will), but both decline the rule of Jerusalem. The embassy fails, but seem to have been the stimulus behind a new Crusading tax in England and France (1185 or 1184).
• 1185 - 1195: Isaac II Angelus becomes Byzantine emperor. Andronicus Comnenus had ordered him arrested and killed, but his years of heavy-handed rule had taken their toll and the people refused. Isaac is made emperor by popular acclamation and Andronicus is forced to flee, but he is captured and killed by a mob. Isaac would not be as ruthless as Andronicus, but at the same time Isaac would be far more corrupt.
• 1185: Normans capture and sack Thessaloniki. Eleanor of Aquitaine is released from her confinement, and manages to secure the succession of her son Richard to the throne of England. March: King Baldwin IV dies of leprosy and King Baldwin V, still an infant, succeeds him as King of Jerusalem (1185-6). Raymond of Tripoli is named regent. August: Normans lay siege to and sack Thessalonica, a Greek Christian city. November: Pope Lucius III is succeeded by Pope Urban III. Pope Urban III's enemies prevent him from entering Rome, so he remains in Verona instead.December 06: Death of Afonso I Henriques of Portugal in Coimbra. The first king of Portugal, Alfonso had created the nation of Portugal by liberating it from Muslim invaders and attempts at dominance from Castile in Spain.
• 1186: Frederick I of the Holy Roman Empire's son Henry (later to be Emperor Henry VI) invades the papal states. Meinhard is consecrated as the first Bishop of Buxtehude (Uexk_?_ll). Reynald of (de) Chantillon breaks a truce with Saladin by attacking a Muslim caravan and taking several prisoners, including a sister of Saladin. This infuriates the Muslim leader who vows to kill Reynald with his own hands. March 03: The city of Mosul, Iraq, submits to Saladin. August: Baldwin V, young king of Jerusalem. dies of an illness. His mother, Sibylla, sister of King Baldwin IV, is crowned Queen of Jerusalem by Joscelin of Courtenay and her husband, Guy of Lusignan, is crowned King. This is contrary to the previous king's will. The forces of Raymond of Tripoli are based in Nablus and Raymond himself is in Tiberias; as a consequence, the entire kingdom is effectively split in two and chaos reigns.
• 1186-94: Guy of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem.
• 1187-1192: The Third Crusade is led by Frederick I Barbarossa, Richard I Lion Heart of England, and Philip II Augustus of France. It would end with a peace treaty giving Christians access to Jerusalem and the Holy Places.
• 1187, March: In response to his sister being taken prisoner and a caravan being captured by Reynald of Chantillon, Saladin begins his call for a holy war against the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.
• May 01: A large reconnaissance force of Muslims cross the Jordan river with the intent of provoking the Christians into attacking and thus allowing a larger war to commence. The incursion is designed to last just a single day and, near the end, several dozens Templars and Hospitallers charged the much larger Muslim force. Nearly all of the Christians died.
• June 26: Saladin launches his invasion of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem by crossing into Palestine.
• July 01: Saladin crosses the Jordan River with a large army intent on defeating the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. He is observed by Hospitallers in the fortress of Belvoir but their numbers are too small to do anything but watch.
• July 02: Muslim forces under Saladin capture the city of Tiberias but the garrison, led by Count Raymond's wife Eschiva, manage to hold out in the citadel. Christian forces camp at Sephoria in order to decide what to do. They don't have the strength to attack, but they are inspired to move forward. by the image of Eschiva holding out. Guy of Lusignan is inclined to remain where he is and Raymond support him, despite the likely fate of his wife if she is captured. Guy, however, is still plagued by the belief of others that he is a coward and late that night Gerard, Grand Master of the Knights Templar, convinces him to attack. This would be a serious mistake.
• July 03: Crusaders march from Sephoria in order to engage Saladin's forces. They brought no water with them, expecting to replenish their supplies at Hattin. That night they would camp on a hill with a well, only to discover that it was already dried up. Saladin would also set fire to the brush; the drifting smoke made the tired and thirsty Crusaders even more miserable.
• July 4: Saladin wins the Battle of Hattin. A force of Frankish nobles, Templars, and Hospitallers is destroyed. Saladin follows up the battle with a massacre of over 100 - other sources: 200 - Templars and Hospitallers. Battle of Hattin: Saladin defeats the Crusaders in an area northwest of Lake Tiberias and assumes control of most of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Crusaders should never have left Sephoria - they were defeated as much by the hot desert and lack of water as they were by Saladin's army. Raymond of Tripoli dies of his wounds after the battle. Reynald of (de) Chatillon, Prince of Antioch, is personally beheaded by Saladin but the other Crusader leaders are treated better. Gerard de Ridefort, the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, and the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller are ransomed.
• July 08: After the battle Saladin moves north and his forces arrive at Acre. The city capitulates to him immediately, having heard of his victory at Hattin. Other cities which also surrender to Saladin are treated well.
• July 14: Conrad of Montferrat arrives at Tyre to take up the Crusading banner. Conrad had intended to land at Acre, but finding it under Saladin's control already he moves on to Tyre where he takes over from another Christian leader who is far more timid. Saladin had captured Conrad's father, William, at Hattin and offers a trade, but Conrad prefers to shoot at his own father rather than surrender. Tyre is the only Crusader Kingdom that Saladin is unable to defeat and it would last for another hundred years.
• July 29: The city of Sidon surrenders to Saladin.
• August 09: The city of Beirut is captured by Saladin.
• August 10: The city of Ascalon surrenders to Saladin and Muslim forces re-establish control over the region. By the following month Saladin would also control the cities of Nablus, Jaffa (this city resists and is taken by force. The entire population is sold into slavery), Toron, Sidon, Gaza and Ramla, completing a ring around the prize, Jerusalem.
• September 19: Saladin breaks camp at Ascalon and moves his army towards Jerusalem.
• September 20: Saladin and his forces arrive outside of Jerusalem and prepare to assault the city. Defense of Jerusalem is led by Balian of Ibelin. Balian had escaped capture at Hattin and Saladin personally gave permission for him to enter Jerusalem in order to retrieve his wife and children. Once there, however, the people beg him to stay and take up their defense - a defense that consists of three knights, if one includes Balian himself. Everyone else had been lost in the disaster at Hattin. Balian not only gains Saladin's permission to stay, but Saladin also ensures that his wife and children are given safe conduct out of the city and taken to safety in Tyre. Actions like this help ensure Saladin's reputation in Europe as an honorable and chivalrous leader.
• September 26: After five days of scouting the city and the immediate surrounding area, Saladin launches his assault to retake Jerusalem from the Christian occupiers. Every male Christian had been given a weapon, whether they knew how to fight or not. The Christian citizens of Jerusalem would rely on a miracle to save them.
• September 28: After two days of heavy battering, the walls of Jerusalem begin to buckle under the Muslim assault. St. Stephen's tower falls partially and a breach begins to appear at St. Stephen's Gate, the same place where the Crusaders had broken through nearly a hundred years earlier.
• September 30: Jerusalem is officially surrendered to Saladin, commander of the Muslim forces besieging the city. In order to save face Saladin demands that a heavy ransom be paid for the release of any Latin Christians; those who cannot be ransomed are kept in slavery. Orthodox and Jacobite Christians are permitted to remain in the city. To show mercy Saladin finds many excuses to let Christians go for little or no ransom at all - even buying the freedom of many himself. Many Christian leaders, on the other hand, smuggle gold and treasure out of Jerusalem rather than use to free others from slavery. These greedy leaders include Patriarch Heraclius as well as many Templars and Hospitallers.
• October 02: Muslim forces under the command of Saladin officially take control of Jerusalem from the Crusaders, effectively ending any major Christian presence in the Levant (also known as Outremer: the general region of the Crusader states through Syria, Palestine, and Jordan). Saladin had delayed his entry into the city by two days so that it would fall on the anniversary of when Muslims believe that Muhammed ascended from Jerusalem (the Dome of the Rock, specifically) to heaven to be in the presence of Allah. Unlike the Christian capture of Jerusalem almost a hundred years earlier, there is no mass slaughter - merely debates about whether Christian shrines like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre should be destroyed to take away Christian pilgrims' reason for returning to Jerusalem. In the end, Saladin insists that no shrines are to be touched and the holy sites of Christians should be respected. This stands in sharp contrast to Reynald of Chatillon's failed attempt to march on Mecca and Medina for the purpose of destroying them in 1183. Saladin also has the walls of Jerusalem destroyed so that, if the Christians ever take it again, they would not be able to hold it.

• October 17: the aged Pope Urban III, about to excommunicate the Emperor Frederik I 'Barbarossa', dies from the shock of the news about Hattin on his way to Venice.
• October 29: In response to the recapture of Jerusalem by Saladin, Pope Gregory VIII (in office for no more than two months) calls the Third Crusade in a Bull, the Crusading encyclical Audita Tremendi calling for the Third Crusade.
• The first ruler to respond is William II of Sicily, who sends a fleet of 50 galleys to the East and plays an important part in the relief of Tripoli.
• The Third Crusade would be led by Frederick I 'Barbarossa' of Germany, Philip II Augustus of France, and Richard I the Lionheart of England. In addition to the obvious religious purpose, Gregory has strong political motives as well: the squabbling between France and England, among others, was sapping the strength of the European kingdoms and he believes that if they could unite in a common cause, it would divert their warring energies and reduce the threat that European society would be undermined. In this he is briefly successful, but the two kings are able to set aside their differences for only a few months.
• October 30: Saladin leads his Muslim army out of Jerusalem.
• November: Saladin launches a second assault on Tyre, but this one fails as well. Not only had Tyre's defenses been improved, but it was now filled with refugees and soldiers had been allowed to go free from other cities Saladin captured in the region. This meant that it was filled with eager warriors.
• December: Germany: The first to take the cross did so at an imperial diet at Strasbourg.
• The Hospitallers and Templars establish themselves on the island of Cyprus. The Templars develop a naval force.
• Early winter: William, Archbishop of Tyre, brings confirmation of the sad news about the Battle of Hattin (Tiberias). He arrives in Marseilles aboard a galley painted black and with black sails denoting grief. He secures the English King's son, Richard Cœur de Lion (the Lionheart), then Count of Poitou, as his chief supporter.
• December: Richard the Lionheart of England becomes the first European ruler to take up the cross and agree to participate in the Third Crusade.
• December 30: Conrad of Montferrat, commander of the Christian defenses of Tyre, launches a night raid against several Muslim ships participating in the siege of the city. He is able to capture them and chase away several more, effectively eliminating Saladin's naval forces for the time being.
• 1188: The preaching of the Third Crusade north of the Alps is done with great diplomatic skill by the Archbishop Joscius of Tyre and Cardinal Legate Henry of Albano, a Cistercian. They are able to arrange a settlement between England and France.
• January 21 (at Gisors in Normandy): Richard is almost the first to sign himself with the Cross; Philippe II Augustus follows him on the spot. Their example is quickly followed by fast numbers of feudal seigneurs and the commonalty all over Western Europe.
• January 21: Henry II Plantagenet of England and Philip II of France meet in France to listen to Archbishop of Tyre Josias describe the loss of Jerusalem and most of the Crusader positions in the Holy Land. They agree to take up the cross and participate in a military expedition against Saladin. They also decide to impose a special tithe, known as the "Saladin Tithe," to help fund the Third Crusade. This tax amounts to one tenth of a person's income over a three year period; only those who participated on the Crusade were exempt - a great recruiting tool.
• March 27: Third Crusade (1188-92) begins when The Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick I (called Barbarossa, than 70 years of age) takes the cross at the diet of Mainz known as the 'curia Jesu Christi'. It is his second Crusade as he had taken part in the Second Crusade 40 years before.
•May 30: Saladin lays siege the fortress of Krak des Chevaliers (headquarters of the Knights Hospitaller in Syria and the largest of all the Crusader fortresses even before most had been captured by Saladin) but fails to take it.
• July: Saladin agrees to release Guy of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem, who had been captured at the Battle of Hattin a year before. Guy is under oath not to take up arms against Saladin again, but he manages to find a priest who declares the oath to an infidel invalid. The Marquis William of Montferrat is released at the same time.
• August: Henry II Plantagenet of England and Philip II of France meet again in France and nearly come to blows over their various political disagreements.
• December 06: The fortress of Safed surrenders to Saladin.
• William the Lion of Scotland receives a papal bull promising the independence of the Scottish church from the English ones.

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