Why did the Third Crusade fail?

Transcription

1 Teaching notes This resource forms part of a set of resources on the Crusades. It can be used alongside Why did people go on Crusade? (search 26606). Starter ideas Pair your students and play a quick game of taboo. Standing back-to-back (one facing the whiteboard, the other the back of the room) one student must describe the six topic keywords that you write up on the whiteboard. Each pair has one minute in which to try to get as many as possible the facing person describes keyword without using it while the other guesses. Then swap. The winning pair gets to celebrate! Set I Set 2 Pope Jerusalem Cross Knight Saladin Islam Emperor Holy Land Golden Age Richard the Lionheart Castle Crusader An alternative starter activity would be to use the fact sheets on each crusade from Why did people go on Crusade? Students can use these to construct a timeline which divides the different Crusades into Crusader Victory or Islamic Victory. They could then discuss which side won. Main activity This resource focuses particularly on the failure of the third crusade. Students can sort the cards in a variety of ways. 1. Find evidence that the Third Crusade failed (cards 1,3,5,6,7,8,16,17,18,20,21,23,24) 2. Find evidence that the Third Crusade was a success (cards 2,4,10,11,22) 3. Categorise them into reasons and decide which was the most important in explaining the failure of the Third Crusade. Richard Lionheart / Woodcut / Credit: akgimages / Universal Images Group / Copyright akg-images / For Education Use Only. This and millions of other educational images are available through Britannica Image Quest. For a free trial, please visit They can them come to a judgement on the overall success of the crusade. This could be developed into a piece of extended writing. Plenary activity Use the map provided (Source 1) and annotate with the key points from the card sort to explain the failure of the Third Crusade. A completed version is included for you to refer to Page 1 of 5

2 Card sort Read through the cards and then analyse them in different ways: 1. Find evidence that the Third Crusade failed. 2. Find evidence that the Third Crusade was a success. 3. Categorise them into reasons and decide which was the most important in explaining the failure of the Third Crusade. 4. Overall, explain your own judgement on the success of the Third Crusade. 1. Saladin successfully united the armies of Syria and Egypt. 2. Before the Third Crusade, the Kings of England and France stopped arguing and put their armies together. 3. The German leader, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, in charge of a huge army, drowned on the journey and most of his troops went home. 4. The Crusaders beat the Muslims at the fortified city of Acre. 5. The remains of the German army suffered terribly in a disease epidemic. 6. Richard I of England organised a fleet to carry his soldiers. A terrible storm wrecked many of the ships. 7. While besieging the city of Acre, (which was eventually successful), disease killed many Crusaders. 8. Richard I and Philip II of France argued again when they had seized Acre and Philip took half his army back to France. 9. After the siege of Acre, when Acre was in Christian hands, Richard I arranged a massacre of Muslim prisoners in full view of the Muslim armies. 10. After Acre was in Christian hands, Richard led a successful attack on the city of Jaffa. 11. The Christian victory at Jaffa encouraged the Crusaders and embarrassed Saladin. 12. After the victory at Jaffa, Saladin had to send half his army home Page 2 of 5

3 13. After the victory at Jaffa, the Muslim defenders of Jerusalem were very weak. Richard would have won Jerusalem if he had attacked then. 14. Richard did not want to try to attack Jerusalem in the winter so he decided to wait until the spring. 15. Richard had two allies as he approached Jerusalem, Guy and Conrad. Guy and Conrad hated each other. 16. The Christian King Conrad of Jerusalem was murdered by assassins. 17. The remains of the French army argued with Richard I s leadership and said that they would not support an attack on Jerusalem. 18. Saladin retook Jaffa which Richard had taken from the Muslims. Richard s army marched back and took Jaffa back again! 19. Richard I said that he would fight as an ordinary soldier under French command, if they joined with the English army and attacked Jerusalem. The French refused. 20. The Crusader army was too divided to risk an attack on Jerusalem so they decided not to try at all. 21. Saladin remained in control of Jerusalem but he had lost Acre and Jaffa. 22. Saladin was not strong enough to try to retake Acre and Jaffa. 23. After the spring, Richard was not strong enough to try to take Jerusalem. 24. Richard and Saladin agreed a truce. They left Jerusalem in Muslim hands but Acre and Jaffa under Christian control Page 3 of 5

4 Task Add brief notes around the map to highlight key events in the Third Crusade and explain its failure Page 4 of 5

5 Teacher version (suggested notes) and labels. Richard I led a crusading army from England. Philip II led a crusading army from France. Emperor Frederick Barbarossa led a crusading army from Germany. Illustration of map showing Crusader's movements across Europe and the Middle East to Jerusalem between 1096 and 1270 / Credit: Rob Shone/ Dorling Kindersley / Universal Images Group / Copyright DK Images / For Education Use Only. This and millions of other educational images are available through Britannica Image Quest. For a free trial, please visit /trial Emperor Frederick Barbarossa drowned in Anatolia (Turkey). Richard I s army picked up troops from Spain. Constantinople Antioch Acre Some English ships were shipwrecked. Jaffa Jerusalem Page 5 of 5