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The Crusades – The Next Generation SecondCrusadeTheFirstCrusadehadbeenlaunchedduringatimeofdisunityandinstabilityintheMuslimWorld.JerusalemitselfhadshiftedhandsfromtheFatimidstotheSeljuks,andthenbacktheFatimidsagain,beforefinallybeingtakenbythe“Franks.”ThelandssurroundingthenewCrusaderStateswereseparatedintoindependentcitiesandstates,butanewSeljukleadernamedZengidecidedtounitedtheMuslimlands.Hedidsobyforce,wagingwaragainstfellowMuslimleaders,asdidhissonafterhim,untiltheyhadunitedallof
Syriaundertheirrule.WithinafewyearsthenewSeljukpowerbeganfightingtorecapturelandsthattheyhadlostintheFirstCrusade.In1144,theytookthecityofEdessa,thecapitalofoneoftheCrusaderstates.UponlearningthatEdessahadbeenlost,EuropeanleaderscalledforasecondCrusade,andthePopemadeanofficialannouncementlaunchingaCrusadein1147.AmongtheCrusaderswereKingConradIIIofGermany,KingLouisVIIofFrance,andhiswife,EleanorofAquitaine.However,unliketheFirstCrusade,theByzantineEmperorhadnotrequestedanyhelp,sowhenCrusaderknightsrobbedByzantinetownsalongthewayEastforfoodandsupplies,astheyhaddoneinthefirstCrusade,therelationswiththeByzantinesgrewevenworse.AstheycrossedAsiaMinor,theywereattackedbytheSeljukTurks,possiblyattheadviceoftheByzantineEmperorhimself,andmostoftheknightswerekilled.ThesmallgroupofsurvivorsthatdidreachtheHolyLandwenttobattle,butwereeasilydefeatedbytheirenemies.
1. WhywastheSecondCrusadesuchafailure?Givemultiplereasons.ThirdCrusadeWhilethesecondCrusadewasafailurefortheCrusaders,itwasanenormoussuccessfortheMuslims.ThenewhostilityfromtheFranksconvincedotherstillindependentMuslimstatestojoinforceswiththeSeljuksforprotection,makingthemstrongerthanever.About30yearsaftertheSecondCrusade,anewleaderaroseintheMuslimworld.HisnamewasSalahuddin,buthewasknowntoEuropeansasSaladin.SaladinwasaKurdishMuslimwhohadbecomefamousasagreatgeneralfortheSeljuks.WhentheleaderofFatimidEgyptdied,theyFatimidsaskedhimtobecometheirnewleader.InastrokeofluckforSalahuddin,theruleroftheSeljukTurksdiedsoonafter,andSalahuddinwasabletounitebothlands,takingthetitleofsultanforhimself.
SalahuddinsetouttotakebacktheCrusaderstates.Withastrongerandmoreunitedforcethanbefore,hesucceededinhisconquestanddroveEuropeanChristiansoutofJerusalem.Shockedanddevastated,ChristiansrespondedtothislossbylaunchingtheThirdCrusade.ThethreemostpowerfulkingsofEuropesetoutontheThirdCrusade:KingRichardtheLion-HeartedofEngland,KingPhilipIIAugustusofFrance,andEmperorFrederickBarbarossaofGermany.Troublebeganalmostimmediately.Whilecrossingariver,theelderlyFrederickdrowned,whichbrokethespiritoftheGermanknights,manyofwhomreturnedhome.BackinEurope,FranceandEnglandhadbeeninaconflictovercertainlandsthattheybothwantedtocontrol,buttheyputtheirdifferencesasidetofightinCrusade.However,uponreachingtheHolyLand,RichardofEnglandandPhilipofFrancebegantoargue,andPhilipdecidedtoreturntoFrancewithmanyofhisknights.Richardalonewaslefttoleadtheremainingarmy.
RichardtheLion-HeartedandSalahuddinhadgreatrespectforeachothereventhoughtheywereonoppositesidesofthewar.Bothwereadmiredasmilitaryleadersandalsofortheirhonorablebehavior.StoriesspreadaboutSalahuddinprovidinghorsesforRichardandsendinghisowndoctorwhenRichardwasill,alongwithafruitbasket.Thetwomenalsomadeproposalsforpeace,includingamarriagealliancebetweenRichard’ssisterandSalahuddin’sbrother,whichnevertookplacebecauseofreligiousdifferences.DespitenegativeviewstowardsMuslimsingeneral,SalahuddinwasevenpraisedinEurope.OutofhisdesiretofightforGod'scause[Salahuddin]leftbehindhisfamily,children,country,homeandallthetownsunderhiscontrol.Salahuddinwaswell-manneredandentertaining…Ineversawhiminsultanyone.Healwaysstucktohiswordandwasloyal.NoorphanevercametohimwithoutSalahuddinofferingtoprovidethesameamountofcareashisfatherhaddone.Hetreatedoldpeoplekindly…"Source:Baha'ad-DinIbnShaddad,aMuslimwriterwholivedinthecourtofSalahuddinDespitetheirmutualadmiration,RichardandSalahuddinfoughtfiercelyforcontroloftheHolyLand.AfterRichardcapturedthecityofAcre,hetook2,700Muslimmen,women,andchildrenasprisoners.WhennegotiationswithSalahuddindidnotgoashewanted,Richardkilledalltheprisoners,cuttingofftheirheadsinfrontoftheMuslimarmy.SalahuddinthenkilledalltheCrusadersthathehadcapturedinresponse.AlthoughRichardwonseveralbattlesagainsttheMuslims,hewasnotabletodrivethemoutoftheHolyLandortotakeJerusalem.Intheend,hehadtoadmitthattheCrusadewasadrawandreturntoEngland.
2. WhydoyouthinkbothMuslimsandChristiansrespectedSalahuddin?
3. SomepeopleviewRichardasahero,someasavillain.Whichdoyouthinkisright?Explain.
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