Reports filter back to Europe of Turks attacking and persecuting Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem; Turks do not follow previous Arab policy of protecting Christian and Jewish populations as dhimmi (Arab., 'protected ones').

Battle of Cibotas in Asia Minor: ragtag army led by followers of Peter the Hermit defeated by Turks, survivors enslaved.

Four official Crusader armies start out for Palestine led by French and Norman nobility (Franks): Godfrey of Bouillon and his brothers (Eustace and Baldwin of Boulogne), Raymond of Toulouse (Saint-Gilles), Bohemond of Taranto, and Robert of Flanders; Crusaders begin to arrive in Constantinople and collect army of about 35,000 (5,000 knights, 30,000 infantry); they are pressured to pledge loyalty to Emperor Alexius I Comnenus and promise to return conquered lands to Byzantine Empire; emperor will support Crusaders militarily.

Battle of Dorylaeum: Crusaders foil ambush by large Turkish army led by Sultan Kilij Arslan I; victory opens way to Syria; Baldwin of Boulogne accepts lorship of Edessa in southern Asia Minor/northern Syria.

Arab army of Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt (Shi`ites) captures Jerusalem, expels Seljuk Turks, re-occupies city.

Fall of Jerusalem (July 15): Crusaders breach northeast wall; bloodbath ensues; massacre thousands of Muslims and Jews; synagogues are burned; temple mount is awash in blood; some Saracens and Jews are spared, including Fatimid governor who go free and evacuate to Ascalon. Crusader leaders elect Godfrey as ruler of Jerusalem with title, "Defender of the Holy Sepulcher"; Muslims and Jews are barred from living in city.

Death of Pope Urban II (July 29).

Battle of Ascalon (August): relief army from Egypt is defeated by Crusaders from Jerusalem; most Crusaders now go home, having fulfilled Crusader vows; Crusade ends with foundation of three Crusader states: Kingdom of Jerusalem and Principalities of Edessa and Antioch, and their vassel cities, towns and estates.

Baldwin I captures Arsuf and Caesarea with aid of Genoese navy.

Death of Zangi, succeeded by son, Nur el-Din, as ruler of Aleppo serving greater Seljuk Empire.

Administrative dispute in Egypt causes King Amalric I to invade Egypt; defeats Egyptians at Battle of Pelusium. They seek aid from Nur el-Din in Syria.

Battle of Harim. With Amalric I in Egypt, Nur el-Din attacks Harim; defeats combined army of Tripoli, Antioch, Byzantines and Armenians; captures most Crusader leaders, including: Raymond III of Tripoli, Bohemund III of Antioch, Joscelin III of Edessa and Byzantine governor; Amalric I abandons Egypt and returns to deal with Nur el-Din.

Amalric I marries Byzantine Princess Maria Comnena, great niece of Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Comnenus; their daughter will be Princess Isabella

Nur el-Din appoints Salah el-Din (Saladin), a Kurd, as deputy in Egypt and commander of Syrian troops protecting Egypt from Crusader attack.

Death of Amalric I, succeeded by 13-year old son, Baldwin IV, suffering from leprosy. Regency led by mother, Agnes of Courtenay, Raymond III of Tripoli, and other nobles.

Amalric of Lusignan arrives in Jerusalem from Poitou; enrolls in service of Agnes of Courtenay. Younger brother Guy of Lusignan arrives possibly later, if not same time

Princess Sibylla, sister of Baldwin IV, marries William of Montferrat, who dies next year. She bears son, Baldwin.

Reginald of Chatillon ransomed and released from Aleppo prison.

Balian of Ibelin marries Dowager Queen Maria Comnena, widow of King Amalric I; becomes stepfather to Princess Isabella, her daughter, and half-sister to Princess Sibylla; marks family alliance between Byzantine royal family and Ibelins, who are among wealthiest and most powerful lords in Crusader states.

Battle of Jacob's Ford: Salah el-Din (Saladin) defeats force garrisoning fortress under construction at key crossing of Jordan River near Tiberias on road to Syria. 700 soldiers, architects and workers killed, 800 taken prisoner, unfinished structure destroyed.

Salah el-Din allies with Seljuk Sultan Kilij Arslan II; now rules in name of Seljuks, stabilizing his Seljuk border and freeing his hand with Crusaders.

Battle of Belvoir Castle (1182): series of running engagements between armies of Salah el-Din and Baldwin IV in Galilee; Salah el-Din's coordinated attacks across Syria and Palestine are unsuccessful in goading pitched battle between armies, despite that they array against each other and skirmish; Baldwin IV succeeds in countering his moves, and Salah el-Din retires to Damascus.

Salah el-Din occupies Muslim Aleppo (1183), forcing it into his Ayyubid empire; completes encirclement of Latin states.

Battle of el-Fule (1183): series of coordinated skirmishes by very large Crusader army led by regent Guy of Lusignan against army of Salah el-Din that invades Galilee and northern Palestine, causing heavy damage; Crusaders refuse to be lured into decisive battle or ambush, forcing Salah el-Din to withdraw without capturing territory or damaging Crusader force. Guy is harshly criticized for avoiding battle, but poleins support cautious strategy given Salah el-Din's tactical advantages.

Reginald of Chatillon attacks caravans from Egypt; captures Aqaba and launches piratical raids on Red Sea as springboard for attack on Mecca. Salah el-Din responds by besieging Reginald's castle at el-Kerak (while Humphrey and Isabella are honeymooning there!). Relief army led by leprotic Baldwin IV (carried on stretcher) surprises Salah el-Din before walls of el-Kerak; Salah el-Din abandons siege and withdraws.

Baldwin IV revokes regency of Guy of Lusignan for not responding aggressively enough to Salah el-Din in el-Fule campaign and for allowing Reginald of Chatillon to attack Muslim caravans, jeopardizing peace with Egypt.

Royal court has split into 2 feuding factions, "newcomers" and poleins. "Newcomers" are zealous, aggressive, and ambitious barons who have come from Europe with desire to make war against infidels and capture territory; they are led by Sibylla, Guy and Amalric of Lusignan (brothers) and Reginald of Chatillon. Poleins are native lords and barons born in Palestine and acculturated to Middle East, understand Arabic, Islam and Arab mentality (e.g., Count Raymond III of Tripoli, Balian of Ibelin, Baldwin of Ramlah, Reginald of Sidon, and Joscelin III of Edessa; "newcomers" generally despise poleins as unaggressive, over-assimilated traitors to Crusader cause.

Salah el-Din signs peace treaty with Byzantine Empire, diplomatically isolating Crusader states.

Dying Baldwin IV, names nephew, Baldwin V, heir--has him crowned co-regent to keep Guy of Lusignan from becoming king; at ceremony Balian carries boy on shoulders, indicating Princess Isabella's family supports her nephew.

Death of Baldwin IV, succeeded by Baldwin V, child borne to king's sister, Sibylla; Count Raymond III of Tripoli (& Tiberias) appointed regent--he might hope to use regency to make himself king.

Sibylla crowned queen of Jerusalem, but she remarries her husband(!) and crowns him king, Guy of Lusignan.

Baldwin of Ramlah does not swear fealty to Guy of Lusignan and exiles himself to Antioch. Balian accepts and becomes military advider to King Guy. Count Raymond of Tripoli opens friendly dialogue with Salah el-Din seeking support to become king; civil war in Crusader states nearly erupts; Raymond permits Salah el-Din's army to camp in his territory.

Battle of Cresson (May 1): Salah el-Din's son, el-Afdal, defeats force of Templars and Hospitallers. Raymond vilified for treason and threatened; he rejoins Crusaders in war against Salah el-Din. "Newcomers" distrust him and other poleins, whom they call traitors for counseling King Guy not to engage Salah el-Din directly; poleins advise to await Salah el-Din from superior battle position; King Guy rejects advice, marches against Salah el-Din without sufficient water or preparation. Balian of Ibelin and Joscelin III of Edessa command rear guard.

Battle of Hattin (July 4): Salah el-Din surrounds and annihilates main Crusader army; captures and imprisons King Guy and Templar Grand Master; executes Reginald of Chatillon, 200 Templars and Hospitallers, and other prisoners; only Raymond of Tripoli, Joscelin III of Edessa, Balian of Ibelin, and few others escape battle through hole in enemy lines (Arab sources say Salah el-Din allows them to escape); Salah el-Din permits Balian and family to pass into Jerusalem. Within 3 months, Salah el-Din captures most Crusader strongholds in Galilee and northern Palestine, including: Tiberias, Acre, Toron, Beirut, Sidon, Nazareth, Caesarea, Nablus, Jaffa, and Ascalon.

Conrad of Montferrat, (King Baldwin V's uncle) lands at Tyre with small army; claims throne of Jerusalem; establishes himself and fights off attack by Salah el-Din.

Siege and Fall of Jerusalem. Salah el-Din besieges Jerusalem (September), commanded by Balian of Ibelin; he organizes desperate defenses; negotiates with Salah el-Din; defenders rather kill themselves and their prisoners, and burn city than fall by force; after 50-day siege, Salah el-Din agrees to peaceful surrender (November); spares lives of Christians and ransoms most of them; allows them to evacuate to coast.

Count Raymond of Tripoli returns to Tripoli, dies of "broken heart"; succeeded by Prince of Antioch, uniting 2 territories as Antioch-Tripoli.

Military campaign of Guy and Conrad against Salah el-Din at Acre is stalemated; no progress.

Fall of Acre: French army under King Philip Augustus arrives at Acre, renews stalemated siege; 6 weeks later Richard I (Lion-heart) and army land and attack; Salah el-Din cannot lift siege; 1 month later Acre surrenders; Richard offends King Philip and Duke Leopold V of Austria, when he tears down their banners; King Philip returns to France. Arab prisoners of war held for ransom--to be exchanged for prisoners held by Salah el-Din.

Salah el-Din fails to pay ransom on time; Richard beheads all 2,700 Arab prisoners in full view of Arab army; Salah el-Din responds by massacring most Crusader prisoners; later Richard defeats Salah el-Din severely at battle of Arsuf.

Richard supports Guy of Lusignan for king of Jerusalem against Conrad of Montferrat (since Guy is actually Richard's vassal from Poitou!); Richard detests poleins who support Conrad.

Treaty of Ramlah between Richard I and Salah el-Din; end of war; Balian of Ibelin helps negotiate treaty. Arabs keep Jerusalem; Crusaders keep coastal cities south of Joppa (Jaffa); Ascalon returned to Arabs; Christian pilgrims granted free and safe access to Jerusalem.

Franks establish "Second Kingdom" of Jerusalem at Acre; Richard I reluctantly recognizes Conrad of Montferrat as King of Jerusalem-Acre; Guy of Lusignan becomes governor of Cyprus.

Salah el-Din compensates Balian of Ibelin for loss of estates with gift of castle of Caymont and areas near Acre; he now rules under Salah el-Din's authority.

Richard I sails home, and almost immediately, Conrad of Montferrat is murdered by Assassins (Hashishiin)-sect of Islam (Richard is suspected); Conrad succeeded by Henry II of Champagne, married to Queen Isabella; Richard is shipwrecked near Venice and captured by Duke Leopold of Austria, imprisoned by German Emperor Henry VI for heavy ransom of 150,000 Marks.

Death of Balian of Ibelin (in his 50's) at his castle of Caymont.

Armenians make treaty of alliance with Mongols; Antioch as Armenian vassal must support Armenian-Mongol military actions.