The Crusaders begin the Siege of Acre under Guy of Lusignan.

The **Third Crusade (1189–1192)** was a major military campaign launched by European Christian rulers in response to the capture of Jerusalem by the Muslim leader **Saladin** in 1187. Saladin had defeated the forces of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem at the **Battle of Hattin** and soon took control of Jerusalem and much of the surrounding territory. News of the loss shocked Christian Europe, prompting Pope Gregory VIII to call for another crusade. Three of Europe’s most powerful monarchs answered the call: **Richard I of England**, known as Richard the Lionheart; **Philip II of France**; and **Frederick I Barbarossa**, the Holy Roman Emperor.

Frederick Barbarossa led a large German army overland toward the Holy Land, but the expedition suffered a major setback in 1190 when the elderly emperor drowned while crossing the Saleph River in Asia Minor. Much of his army subsequently dispersed or returned home. Richard and Philip travelled largely by sea and eventually joined the siege of **Acre**, an important coastal city held by Saladin’s forces. Acre surrendered to the Crusaders in July 1191 after a long and costly siege. Soon afterward, Philip returned to France, leaving Richard as the most prominent Crusader commander in the Holy Land.

Richard proved to be a skilled and determined military leader. In September 1191, his army defeated Saladin’s forces at the **Battle of Arsuf**, allowing the Crusaders to strengthen their control of the Mediterranean coastline. Richard made several attempts to advance toward Jerusalem, but he ultimately decided against attacking the city. He feared that even if the Crusaders captured Jerusalem, they would not have enough soldiers or supplies to defend it against Saladin. The campaign therefore developed into a struggle of battles, negotiations, raids, and attempted advances, with neither Richard nor Saladin able to achieve a complete victory over the other.

In September 1192, Richard and Saladin agreed to the **Treaty of Jaffa**, bringing the Third Crusade to an end. Jerusalem remained under Muslim control, but Christian pilgrims were permitted to visit the city and its holy sites. The Crusaders also retained a strip of territory along the Mediterranean coast, helping the remaining Crusader states survive for several more decades. Although the Third Crusade failed in its main objective of recapturing Jerusalem, it prevented Saladin from completely destroying the Crusader presence in the region. The campaign also became famous for the rivalry between Richard the Lionheart and Saladin, whose military abilities and reputations for courage made them two of the most celebrated figures of the medieval Crusades.