WHAT IF...RICHARD THE LIONHEART HAD RECAPTURED JERUSALEM?
BBC History Revealed|May 2023
Nige Tassell and Professor Rebecca Rist consider the consequences for history had the Third Crusade returned the Holy City to Christian control
- Nige Tassell and Professor Rebecca Rist
WHAT IF...RICHARD THE LIONHEART HAD RECAPTURED JERUSALEM?

In January 1192, Richard the Lionheart - aka Richard I of England advanced with his men towards Jerusalem, the holy city taken by Saladin, the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, nearly five years earlier. Richard was by now the de facto leader of the Third Crusade, during which he had already enjoyed significant success, taking the strategically important cities of Acre and Jaffa the previous year.

He and his forces reached the village of Bayt Nuba, just a dozen miles from Jerusalem's city walls. With Muslim morale low, re-establishing Christian control could have been within his grasp, but instead Richard retreated to spend the rest of the winter on the coast at the port of Ascalon. In the short term, he was cautious about both the poor weather conditions and the strength of his men, while also being in two minds about his long-term ability to hold on to Jerusalem. Instead, Richard opted for a settlement. The Treaty of Jaffa was signed with Saladin the following autumn, keeping the city under Muslim control but allowing access for Christian traders and pilgrims.

A TAXING SITUATION

Had Richard chosen to recapture Jerusalem, he would surely have faced a renewed campaign from Saladin to recapture it for himself, as Rebecca Rist, professor of medieval history at the University of Reading, observes. "Losing the holy city of Jerusalem to the crusaders would have undoubtedly tarnished Saladin's renowned reputation in the Muslim world, but he still had great military might, despite the significant losses at Acre and Jaffa, whereas much of Richard's army had dissipated and gone back to Acre by October 1191.

この蚘事は BBC History Revealed の May 2023 版に掲茉されおいたす。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トラむアルを開始しお、䜕千もの厳遞されたプレミアム ストヌリヌ、9,000 以䞊の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしおください。

この蚘事は BBC History Revealed の May 2023 版に掲茉されおいたす。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トラむアルを開始しお、䜕千もの厳遞されたプレミアム ストヌリヌ、9,000 以䞊の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしおください。

BBC HISTORY REVEALEDのその他の蚘事すべお衚瀺
'Dickens's evocation of the fears, excitement and confusion of childhood is peerless'
BBC History Revealed

'Dickens's evocation of the fears, excitement and confusion of childhood is peerless'

DR LEE JACKSON ON WHY CHARLES DICKENS REMAINS RELEVANT TODAY

time-read
2 分  |
Christmas 2023
THE AUTHOR GOES ABROAD
BBC History Revealed

THE AUTHOR GOES ABROAD

Dickens expanded his horizons and boosted his fan-base by venturing overseas - but global fame came with a cost

time-read
4 分  |
Christmas 2023
REVIVING THE FESTIVE SPIRIT
BBC History Revealed

REVIVING THE FESTIVE SPIRIT

A Christmas Carol wasn't just a bestseller - it changed the way that Britons chose to mark the festive season

time-read
3 分  |
Christmas 2023
GIVING THE POOR A VOICE
BBC History Revealed

GIVING THE POOR A VOICE

From Hard Times to Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens used his pen to help illuminate the lives of the less fortunate

time-read
3 分  |
Christmas 2023
A JOURNEY THROUGH DICKENS'S LONDON
BBC History Revealed

A JOURNEY THROUGH DICKENS'S LONDON

The works of Charles Dickens are synonymous with visions of Victorian London. We talk to Dr Lee Jackson about the author's love of the capital, and the locations that most inspired him

time-read
10+ 分  |
Christmas 2023
EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS
BBC History Revealed

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

Dr Lee Jackson chronicles Charles Dickens's journey from down-at-luck teenager to titan of Victorian literature

time-read
6 分  |
Christmas 2023
GIFTS, TREES & FEASTING
BBC History Revealed

GIFTS, TREES & FEASTING

We take a journey through the photo archives to reveal how Christmas and its many traditions have been celebrated over the years - and around the world

time-read
3 分  |
Christmas 2023
WHAT GREAT PAINTINGS SAY
BBC History Revealed

WHAT GREAT PAINTINGS SAY

We explore the story behind an allegorical painting that celebrates the triumph of love over hate, peace over war

time-read
3 分  |
Christmas 2023
HELLISH NELL
BBC History Revealed

HELLISH NELL

Malcolm Gaskill delves into the life of Helen Duncan - the fraudulent Scottish medium whose ectoplasm-filled seances saw her ending up on the wrong side of the law

time-read
6 分  |
Christmas 2023
7 THINGS YOU (PROBABLY) DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE WHITE HOUSE
BBC History Revealed

7 THINGS YOU (PROBABLY) DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE WHITE HOUSE

Presidential historian Dr Lindsay M Chervinsky reveals some of the most surprising facts about the world-famous US residence

time-read
5 分  |
Christmas 2023