Relations between Outremer and wider Christendom, the Latin West and the…

The idea

Between 1149 and 1187, Outremer’s survival increasingly depended on external support, yet relations with wider Christendom were often strained. Following the Second Crusade's failure, the Latin West grew reluctant to launch major expeditions, despite frequent embassies from Jerusalem pleading for financial and military aid from monarchs like Henry II of England and Louis VII of France. Consequently, Outremer sought closer ties with the Byzantine Empire. King Amalric forged a crucial alliance with Emperor Manuel I Komnenos, culminating in a joint, albeit unsuccessful, campaign against Egypt in 1169. However, Manuel's death in 1180 and subsequent anti-Latin sentiment in Byzantium severed this vital lifeline, leaving the Crusader states isolated against Saladin's rising power.

What earns the marks

• Assess the impact of the Second Crusade's failure on the Latin West's willingness to provide military support to Outremer.
• Evaluate the diplomatic efforts of Outremer, such as the 1184 embassy led by Patriarch Heraclius to secure aid from European monarchs.
• Analyse the strategic alliance between King Amalric of Jerusalem and Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos, including their joint Egyptian campaign.
• Explain how the death of Manuel I in 1180 and the subsequent decline of Byzantine power left Outremer strategically isolated.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Assuming the Latin West provided continuous military support.

  Put it right: In reality, major crusading efforts stalled between 1149 and 1187 due to European political conflicts.

• Confusing the Byzantine Empire's stance; students often claim Byzantium was always hostile, ignoring the strong alliance and financial support during Manuel I's reign.

• Treating 'wider Christendom' as a unified entity.

  Put it right by distinguishing between the Papacy's spiritual appeals and the pragmatic, often reluctant, responses of secular Western monarchs.

Exam tips

• Use the 1169 joint campaign against Egypt as a concrete example of Byzantine-Outremer cooperation.
• Contrast the diplomatic successes of Amalric with the isolation faced by his successors to demonstrate change over time.
• When evaluating Outremer's vulnerability, explicitly link the lack of Western reinforcements to the growing unified threat posed by Nur ad-Din and Saladin.