AQA · A-Level · History

    Course version: 7042 · Version from Sept 2017

    Preaching and preparing for the Third Crusade: motives of Pope Gregory…

    Full specification wording

    1A The Age of the Crusades, c1071–1204 – The Third and Fourth Crusades, 1187–1204 (A-level only): Preaching and preparing for the Third Crusade: motives of Pope Gregory VIII; Henry II and Richard I of England; Philip II of France; Frederick Barbarossa

    The 1187 fall of Jerusalem prompted Pope Gregory VIII to issue Audita tremendi, preaching the Third Crusade by framing the loss as divine punishment.

    Checked against the AQA 7042 specification (opens in a new tab) on .

    • Point 1 of 6
    • 4 key terms

    Study notes

    From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.

    The idea

    The 1187 fall of Jerusalem prompted Pope Gregory VIII to issue Audita tremendi, preaching the Third Crusade by framing the loss as divine punishment. Preparation involved unprecedented financial levies, notably the Saladin Tithe. Motives varied among the monarchs. Henry II of England and Philip II of France were initially reluctant, driven more by their Angevin-Capetian territorial rivalry than piety, taking the cross to avoid losing face. Following Henry's death, Richard I's motives combined genuine religious zeal with a desire for chivalric glory. Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, a veteran of the Second Crusade, sought to assert his imperial authority and demonstrate his role as the secular leader of Christendom by raising a massive German army.

    What earns the marks

    • Explain the significance of the papal bull Audita tremendi in shaping the spiritual and penitential motives for the crusade.
    • Analyse the impact of the Saladin Tithe as a logistical preparation method and its effect on royal revenues.
    • Evaluate how the ongoing Angevin-Capetian conflict delayed the preparations of Henry II and Philip II.
    • Assess Richard I's dual motivations of religious devotion and the pursuit of military prestige.
    • Examine Frederick Barbarossa's desire to consolidate his imperial legacy and lead a unified Christian response.

    Common mistakes and how to put them right

    • Claiming Henry II led the English contingent on the crusade.

      Put it right: Henry II took the cross but died in 1189 before departing; his son Richard I actually led the English forces.

    • Assuming Philip II and Richard I shared identical, purely religious motives.

      Put it right: Philip was highly pragmatic and focused on French territorial gains, whereas Richard was heavily motivated by chivalric glory and genuine piety.

    • Stating that preaching the crusade was universally successful without resistance.

      Put it right: Acknowledge that the heavy taxation of the Saladin Tithe caused significant resentment and resistance among the laity and clergy.

    Exam tips

    • Contrast the pragmatic, politically driven motives of Philip II with the chivalric and pious motivations of Richard I to build a strong comparative argument.
    • Use the Saladin Tithe as specific evidence when discussing the scale and sophistication of preparations compared to earlier crusades.
    • Link Pope Gregory VIII's theological arguments in Audita tremendi directly to the recruitment of the secular monarchs.

    Try the lesson

    The start of the 1A The Age of the Crusades, c1071–1204 – The Third and Fourth Crusades, 1187–1204 (A-level only): Preaching and preparing for the Third Crusade: motives of Pope Gregory VIII; Henry II and Richard I of England; Philip II of France; Frederick Barbarossa lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.

    Have a go first

    What was the primary motive of Pope Gregory VIII in issuing the papal bull *Audita tremendi* to launch the Third Crusade?

    Listen

    The 1187 fall of Jerusalem prompted Pope Gregory VIII to issue Audita tremendi, preaching the Third Crusade by framing the loss as divine punishment. Preparation involved unprecedented financial levies, notably the Saladin Tithe. Motives varied among the monarchs. Henry II of England and Philip II of France were initially reluctant, driven more by their Angevin-Capetian territorial rivalry than piety, taking the cross to avoid losing face. Following Henry's death, Richard I's motives combined genuine religious zeal with a desire for chivalric glory. Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, a veteran of the Second Crusade, sought to assert his imperial authority and demonstrate his role as the secular leader of Christendom by raising a massive German army. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Explain the significance of the papal bull Audita tremendi in shaping the spiritual and penitential motives for the crusade. Analyse the impact of the Saladin Tithe as a logistical preparation method and its effect on royal revenues. Evaluate how the ongoing Angevin-Capetian conflict delayed the preparations of Henry II and Philip II. Assess Richard I's dual motivations of religious devotion and the pursuit of military prestige. A common slip: Claiming Henry II led the English contingent on the crusade. Instead, Henry II took the cross but died in 1189 before departing; his son Richard I actually led the English forces. Exam tip: Contrast the pragmatic, politically driven motives of Philip II with the chivalric and pious motivations of Richard I to build a strong comparative argument.

    See it

    A top-down flowchart. The fall of Jerusalem in 1187 leads to Pope Gregory VIII issuing Audita tremendi, which leads to the preaching of the Third Crusade. From the preaching, two branches emerge: financial levies, notably the Saladin Tithe, and monarchs taking the cross. The monarchs branch splits into four: Henry II of England, Philip II of France, Richard I of England and Frederick Barbarossa. Henry II and Philip II both lead to Angevin-Capetian rivalry. Richard I leads to religious zeal and chivalric glory. Frederick Barbarossa leads to imperial authority and secular leadership of Christendom.
    It shows how the fall of Jerusalem led to Audita tremendi, the preaching of the Third Crusade, financial preparation through the Saladin Tithe, and the differing motives of the four monarchs.

    Key words

    Say what each word means before you turn the card.

    Audita tremendi

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    Saladin Tithe

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    Angevin-Capetian territorial rivalry

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    Chivalric glory

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    See every definition
    Audita tremendi
    The papal bull issued by Pope Gregory VIII after the 1187 fall of Jerusalem, framing the loss as divine punishment.
    Saladin Tithe
    An unprecedented financial levy used as a logistical preparation method, whose heavy taxation caused resentment and resistance among the laity and clergy.
    Angevin-Capetian territorial rivalry
    The rivalry that drove Henry II of England and Philip II of France more than piety, leading them to take the cross to avoid losing face.
    Chivalric glory
    A desire that, combined with genuine religious zeal, motivated Richard I of England.

    Label the diagram

    Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.

    The diagram again, with 3 boxes numbered instead of named. A top-down flowchart. The fall of Jerusalem in 1187 leads to Pope Gregory VIII issuing Audita tremendi, which leads to the preaching of the Third Crusade. From the preaching, two branches emerge: financial levies, notably the Saladin Tithe, and monarchs taking the cross. The monarchs branch splits into four: Henry II of England, Philip II of France, Richard I of England and Frederick Barbarossa. Henry II and Philip II both lead to Angevin-Capetian rivalry. Richard I leads to religious zeal and chivalric glory. Frederick Barbarossa leads to imperial authority and secular leadership of Christendom.

    • 1Box 1

    • 2Box 2

    • 3Box 3

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