Battle of Arsuf
The Battle of Arsuf took place on 7 September 1191, as part of the Third Crusade. It saw a multi-national force of Crusaders, led by Richard I of England, defeat a significantly larger army of the Ayyubid Sultanate, led by Saladin.
| Battle of Arsuf | |||||||||
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| Part of the Third Crusade | |||||||||
19th-century depiction of the battle by French painter Éloi Firmin Féron (1802–1876) | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
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Angevin Empire Kingdom of France Kingdom of Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller Knights Templar Contingents from other states | Ayyubid Sultanate | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Richard I, King of England Hugh III, Duke of Burgundy Guy of Lusignan Garnier de Nablus Robert IV of Sablé James of Avesnes † Henry II, Count of Champagne |
Saladin Saphadin Al-Afdal ibn Saladin Aladdin of Mosul Musek, Grand Emir of the Kurds † Al-Muzaffar Taqi al-Din Umar | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
11,200 (total)
| 25,000 cavalry | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| c. 700 killed (est.) (Itinerarium) | c. 7,000 killed (est.) (Itinerarium) | ||||||||
Following the Crusaders' capture of Acre, Saladin moved to intercept Richard's advancing army just outside of the city of Arsuf (Arsur in Latin) as it moved along the coast from Acre towards Jaffa. In an attempt to disrupt the cohesion of the Crusader army as they mobilized, the Ayyubid force launched a series of harassing attacks that were ultimately unsuccessful at breaking their formation. As the Crusaders crossed the plain to the north of Arsuf, Saladin committed the whole of his army to a pitched battle. The Crusader army maintained a defensive formation as it marched, with Richard awaiting the ideal moment to mount a counterattack. However, after the Knights Hospitaller launched a charge at the Ayyubids, Richard was forced to commit his entire force to support the attack. The Crusader charge broke the Ayyubid army; Richard was able to restrain his cavalry from a rash pursuit, regrouping them to achieve victory.
Following the engagement, the Crusaders secured control over the central coast of Palestine, including the city of Jaffa.