Saladin & the 3rd Crusade - Defending Jerusalem - Extra History - #4

Rather than Quote Blackadder, I shall quote the French taunters from Monty Python & The Holy Grail: "You don't frighten us, English pig dogs! Go and boil your bottoms, sons of a silly person! I blow my nose at you, so ~ called Arthur King, you and all your silly English Kn-n-n-n-n-n-n-niggits!" Had the French taunters been part of Richard's army, Saladin wouldn't have stood a chance. 1105 In the Kingdom of Vinland, Cluniac Monks set up Twin Monasteries ~ One Dedicated to Saint Peter and the other to Saint Michael ~ on the Islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. There they begin to Experiment with Crops as Provided by Local Skræling Traders and send Two Representatives to the Althing at Isafjordhur. 1120 In the Kingdom of Vinland, Native American Warriors Burn Viking Settlements on Rhode Island. 1135 Viking Explorers Hugging the Coast reach South America. 1141 25th January In the Papal Kingdom, Pope-King Anacletus II Passes away in the City of Rome, Latium. He will be Remembered by Future Historians for continuing the Conflict against the Supporters of the Anti-Pope-King Victor II and his Failure to Suppress the Arnoldians, and for the continuing Decline of the Influence of the Papacy. 1144 24th December In the County of Edessa, Seljuk Forces Lead by Imad al-Din Zengi Capture the Fortress of Edessa after a Four ~ Week Siege. Thousands of the Inhabitants are Massacred and Women and Children are Sold into Slavery. Only Christians are Spared. Lacking the Forces needed to take on Zengi, Count Joscelin II Retires to his Fortress at Turbessel, from where he sends Requests for Reinforcements to the Byzantines and of Jerusalem. 1146 31st March In the Duchy of Burgundy, the Papal Legate Bernard of Clairvaux is Commissioned by -King Celestine II to Preach a new Crusade in Vézelay, Burgundy. King Philip II of France and his Wife, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, are Inspired to take up the Cross. Following his Success, Bernard undertakes a Tour of Burgundy, France, and Flanders, Preaching the Crusade as he goes. 1147 In the Holy Roman Empire, a Second Crusader [some 20,000 Men] Depart from Regensburg, , Commanded in Person by King Conrad III of Germany. The Holy Roman Crusaders Pass into Hungary, Planning to take the Overland Route into Asia Minor and through Syria to Reach the Holy Land. 1150 In the Kingdom of Jerusalem, King Philip II of France and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine Sail Back to France on Board Separate Sicilian Vessels. Upon Returning to Europe, many of the Crusaders will be Subject to Public Scorn because they, Christians, Failed to Recapture Edessa from the Infidels. 1160 The Seljuk Turks Invade the Indian Subcontinent in an Attempt to Oust the Rival Abbasid Caliphate, but are Defeated by the Abbasid Army near Delhi. The Caliph Responds with an Invasion of his Own and nearly reaches the Seljuk Capital of Isfahan before being Defeated and Forced to Retreat Back across the Indus. 1165 The Seljuks and the Abbasid Caliphate Sign a Peace Treaty, Establishing a Border between the Two Empires. 1182 18th February In the Chinese Empire, some Prominent Army Generals cut their Allegiance to the Huangdi and Declare that they are now in Power. However, a Large Portion of the Army and the Population Huangdi Feiling, who Moves the Capital Back to the old City of Chang'an, where he sets up a Competing Government. In the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Crusader Castles of Montréal and Kerak are both Captured by the Egyptians. 1184 20th May In the Kingdom of Denmark, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick “Barbarossa” Demands that King Cnut IV of Denmark Recognise him as his Feudal Overlord. Cnut IV Refuses, however, and soon after, Pomerania Invades Denmark. The Invasion is Defeated, however. 1185 25th May In the Kingdom of Viken, King Niels II of Viken Passes away without any Children to Succeed him. He will be Remembered by Future Historians for helping to Establish the Custom of Primogeniture Succession Law in Viken as well as for Picking a Fight against King Harald V of Hordaland, who he Accused of Fermenting Rebellion in the Markamenn of his Borderlands, which Ended with him being Forced to Accept Harald as his Feudal Overlord. In the Kingdom of Viken, as King Niels II has Died with no Children to Succed him, the Lords of Viken Meet in an Althing to Elect a new Ruler from among themselves. His Half ~ Sister, Hildegard of Rugia, is Elected [Her Cousin, Prince Edmund of , is Briefly Considered, but the Lords do not want to have to Deal with an Overmighty King] as Queen of Viken, in a Bid to Nip any Trouble in the Bud. The Lords of Rugia are still only Recent Converts to Christianity, having been Christianised by Successive Waves of Missionaries and have been Inviting many Gothenlanders to Settle on their Lands. In the Kingdom of Jerusalem, King Baldwin V of Jerusalem Passes away from Leprosy in the City of Jerusalem. He will be Remembered by Future Historians as being little more than a Pawn in the Dangerous Game of Politics in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, his Reign only lasting One Year and Dying before Reaching Maturity or before Producing an Heir. 1186 6th October In the Kingdom of Viken, Queen Hildegard of Rugia, after a Reign of only One Year, Abdicates under Pressure from the Nobility after old Fault Lines begin to Reopen, in Favour of her 8 ~ Year ~ old Son, Prince Wizlaw, who Ascends to the Throne as King Wizlaw I of Viken. 1187 4th July In the Kingdom of Jerusalem, an Egyptian Army ~ 20,000 Men under the Command of Pharaoh Ramesses ~ are Ordered by Pharaoh Ramesses XXII to Engage a Crusader Army ~ 18,000 Men under the Command of King Guy of Jerusalem ~ near the Village of Hittin, County of Galilee. During the Battle, of the Egyptian Army, 448 Men are Killed while, of the Crusader Army, 544 Men are Slain and 450 are taken Prisoner, Including King Guy of Jerusalem. In the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Gérard de Ridefort, Grand Master of The Knights Templar, is among those taken Prisoner by Ramesses XXII. Ramesses Offers to Spare Gérard’s Life if he can Persuade a Templar Fortress to Surrender Peacefully, which Gérard Agrees to do. Most Lower ~ Ranking Knights Templar and Knights of St. John Prisoners are Clumsily Executed by Muslim Clerics after Refusing to Allow their Families to Pay a Ransom for their Release, Except for a few who Agree to Defect and Fight for the Egyptians. In the Kingdom of Jerusalem, a Single Christian Nobleman, Balian of Ibelin, Escapes Hattin with a Retinue of 14 Knights after Negotiating Safe Passage with Ramesses XXII on the Understanding that Balian will Escort his Wife and Children to Tripoli and, from there, take a Ship Back to Europe. However, when he Arrives in Jerusalem, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Heraclius, Absolves him of his Oath and Tasks him with the City’s Defence. With no Knights in his Retinue Except for his 14 Companions, he Hastily Knights some Squires and Organises a Defence Force. 27th October In the Papal Kingdom, Pope-King Cyrus I sends Letters to the Holy Roman Episcopate Informing them of his Election and Ordering them to Win the German Nobility over to a new Crusade. 1189 6th July In the Kingdom of France, King Henry II of England Passes away at Château de Chinon in the Town of Chinon, Touraine Province, from a Bleeding Ulcer at the Age of 56. He will be Remembered by Future Historians as a Driving Force in the Creation of a Genuinely English Monarchy, while others will Argue that he was a “Legislator King,” whose Legal Reforms during his long Reign Laid the Groundwork for English Common Law, while his Intervention in Brittany-Maine, , and Scotland Dramatically Shaped the Development of those Countries’ Societies and Government Systems. His Disputes with French King Charles IV [which would, Eventually, Result in the Outbreak of the Twenty Years' War] will Attract Positive Patriotic Comment while his Role in the Martyrdom of Archbishop Thomas Becket will be Considered Praiseworthy by Lutherans, will Attract Popular Criticism from Catholics and Anglicans, who will also Criticise his Role as a Parent and as a bad Husband. 3rd September In the Kingdom of England, the Third Son of the Late King Henry II of England, Prince Arthur, is Crowned as King of England inside Westminster Abbey. To Raise Money for his long ~ Awaited Crusade against Egypt, he Immediately begins Selling Castles, Lordships, Privileges, and Towns. 1191 7th September In the Egyptian Empire, an English Crusader Army ~ 1,321 Men under the Personal Command of King Arthur “the Lionheart” of ~ are Ambushed just outside the City of Apollonia, . During the Battle, of the English Crusader , 575 Men are , while, of the Egyptian Army, 1,510 Men are Slaughtered as they try to Escape, with 764 taken Prisoner. In the Egyptian Empire, when the Crusaders Arrive outside the Gates of Jerusalem, King Arthur “the Lionheart” quickly sees that, if the Crusaders try and Besiege Jerusalem, they might become Trapped by an Egyptian Relieving Army, Arthur instead sends a Message to Pharaoh Ramesses XXII Offering to Marry his Sister, Joan, [much to Joan’s Disgust] to Al-Adil I, the Brother of Saladin of Syria, in Exchange for the Crusaders being Allowed to Enter the City Peacefully. Initially, both Saladin and Ramesses are Inclined to Accept, as it would Mean an with and an End to the War. However, Clerics on both sides Oppose the Marriage, and Threaten King Arthur with Excommunication. 1192 11th December In the Byzantine Empire, while Returning to England from the Third Crusade, Sailing up the Adriatic, King Arthur “the Lionheart” is Captured by Byzantine Isaac II Angelos when bad Weather Forces his Ship to Dock in Corfu. Isaac Resents Arthur because of his Annexation of Cyprus, which had Formerly been Byzantine Territory. A Ransom of 150,000 Marks, Two to Three Times more than the Annual Income for the Crown is Dismissed by his Brother, Edmund, who begins to Assert Arthur is either Dead or otherwise Permanently lost. 1198 8th January In the Papal Kingdom, Lotario de Conti is Elected as Pope-King of the Catholic Church, Succeding the Late Constantine II, in the Ruins of the Ancient Septizodium in Rome, taking the Regnal Name Innocent III after his Predecessor, Innocent II. He Immediately Issues the Papal Bull Post Miserabile, Calling for a Fourth Crusade to Recapture the Holy Land for the Christian Faith. 1st July In the Kingdom of Jerusalem, King Aimery of Cyprus and Jerusalem Signs a Treaty of Peace with Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses XXII, Securing for the Crusaders the Coast all the way from Acre to Antioch. The Byzantine Basileus Alexios III Angelos, has not given up the Dream of Reconquering Cyprus and Offers to help a new Crusade if Pope-King Innocent III Excommunicates Aimery. Innocent III Refuses along the Grounds that the Byzantines had lost Cyprus to the Knights Templar after King Arthur the Lionheart Sold the Island to them in 1192. 1199 6th April In the Kingdom of France, King Arthur the Lionheart is Slain in Battle after being Shot in the Neck by a Crossbowman while Leading his Troops Besieging the Castle at Châlus, Duchy of Aquitaine. He will be Rememberd by Future Historians as a Brilliant General and a Fierce Warrior-King who Commanded the Loyalty of his Troops and his Nobles, but also a rather Poor Ruler and a bad Husband. Publically, he will be a Revered Figure both in England and in France, Renowned for his Heroism in Battle, and his Leadership during the Third Crusade, but also because of his Association with the Legends of Robin Hood. He will also be Famous for his Coat of Arms ~ Three Yellow Lions against a Red Field ~ which will be used by Several Sports Clubs [Including the England National Football Team] and will, Eventually, be Adopted as the Flag of England. 27th May In the Kingdom of England, Prince Edmund, the Youngest Son of King Henry II of England, is Crowned as King Edmund I of England inside Westminster Abbey by his Mother, Queen Dowager Eleanor of Aquitaine. 1200 In the Fatimid Caliphate, the Arabs Learn the Formula for Gunpowder from the Chinese, but, as of this Time, its Military Potential has not yet been Realised. Within Five Years, the Formula is Learned by Egyptian Scientists, and, from there, Passes to Europe. 1202 In the Most Serene Republic of Venice, the Main Host of the Fourth Crusade, Consisting mostly of Men Drawn from the Kingdom of France, the Duchy of Burgundy, the United Kingdoms of The Netherlands, and the Kingdom of Flanders, begin to Gather in the Venetian Lagoon. 1205 In the City of Nicaea, Theme of Opsikion, Theodore I Laskaris is Crowned as Basileus of the Byzantine Empire, thus beginning the Empire of Nicaea and the Laskaris Dynasty of Rulers. 14th April In the Latin Empire, at Adrianople, a Combined Bulgarian/ Commanded by Tsar Kaloyan of Bulgaria Decisively Crush the Commanded by Baldwin I and Enrico Dandolo. Latin Emperor Baldwin I is Killed during the Battle and the Latin Aristocracy in Constantinople fall into Squabbling over the Succession. 1213 In the Sri Vijayan Empire, a Nation highly Dependent on International Trade Wealth, is not Able to send its Ships through the Red Sea or the newly re ~ opened Suez Canal that lets Boats continue to the Mediterranean Sea and, hence, to Europe. The Non ~ stop Wars between the Powers in that Region have deeply Hurt the International Trade Situation, which had Flourished before the Break up of China. It is because of this Situation and its bad Effects for Sri Vijaya that Sri Vijaya begins to send out Missions of Exploration to try and Discover an Alternative Route to Europe.

Martin Verran

Man I never found that one line Matt referenced, I guess I don't know the correct media to know the reference. He did say it was a short one line reference.

Novena

Ü

Tanya

Yessss I was waiting so long for this episode! Brilliant!.

"Arrows sticking from their backs" isn't that farfetched. To describe a Knight's armor at the time; it was a tunic of their choice at the bottom, the shirts and pants of the day. Then came the Gambeson, a thick jacket lined with layers of linen and/or wool that has been proven to soften blows from swords, axes and arrows. Then comes the mail hauberk, with riveted mail and each mail ring linked to its neighbors. Then on top of that, comes the surcoat, another thick cloth that protected the mail from rust. Some knights had even begun sewing small metal plates, letting it give way to the future Coat of Plates that would become the next great thing. Muslim sources spoke frequently of Christian Knights being unhindered by arrow shots even back from the First Crusade. So the Knight being arrow-proof is not that far off because an arrow has to make it through four layers of protection before it could pierce the flesh. And every arrow that hits is either lucky or not. It is impossible to deliberately make a shot so good you could kill someone on the first shot at a distance.

Anders Stengård

And Robin Hood nowhere nearby.

Martin Verran