1190-1209 Fourth Crusade Captures Constantinople

This twenty year period covers the reign of Richard the Lionheart (pictured) a year after the start of the 3rd Crusade to the Holy Land. Richard died in 1199 and was succeeded by his brother John.

In 1191 King Philip of France landed at Acre, followed seven weeks later by the king of England, Richard the Lionheart, and Acre surrendered to the two kings, ending Saladin's prestige.

Richard stayed and defeated the Muslims, recovering much of the Palestine coast, but was unable to take Jerusalem.

The Third Crusade was called off 1192 and on his return to England Richard was held to ransom for two years by the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI for an extortionate sum which his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, worked tirelessly to raise.

In the meantime, Saladin had died in 1193 and the Fourth Crusade was underway in 1202 with the capture of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204 -- the year that Eleanor of Aquitaine died, aged 82.

In contrast to 1099, when the first crusaders had captured Jerusalem, massacring Jews and Muslims who lived there, treating the city as exclusively theirs, Saladin never denied access to Jerusalem to other creeds -- the Jews were allowed to return, and four Christian priests were allowed to hold services in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

In 1200 the University of Paris established. 

1170-1189 Third Crusade Fails to Hold Jerusalem

This twenty year period covers the reign of Henry II of England who, in 1172, ordered the murder of Thomas a Becket (pictured) in Canterbury Cathedral.

Henry II also backed the second Norman invasion of Ireland in 1171 which subjugated Ireland in the same way that the 1066 Norman invasion had subjugated England.

Henry II's wife and sons unsuccessfully rebelled against him for the murder of Thomas a Becket. His wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was thereafter confined to house arrest for the next 15 years. In 1189 Henry died and was succeeded by Richard the Lionheart.

In 1170 Saladin asserted Egyptian hegemony over the Red Sea area and the trade route to Asia. He occupied Damascus, became the champion of Islamic orthodoxy and unity under jihad.

By 1185 Saladin brought Aleppo and Mosul under his control and in 1187 Jerusalem fell to Saladin -- precipitating the 3rd Crusade of 1189 which failed to win back the Holy City.

1150-1169 Norman Conquest of Ireland

This twenty year period covers the reign of King Stephen of England at a time when the Chinese were developing the use of explosives in battle.

Frederick Barbarossa of Germany was Holy Roman Emperor and in this twenty year period there were four popes and three antipopes. Eugene III was Pope of Rome to 1153, followed by Anastasius IV to 1154, Hadrian IV to 1159, and then Alexander III who was plagued by three antipopes.

King Stephen died in 1154 and was succeeded by Henry II -- Henri of Anjou.

Henry II's wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was the richest woman in Europe after inheriting the Duchy of Aquitaine. She had previously been married to Louis VII of France and had accompanied him on the 2nd Crusade of 1147-1149.

In 1167 the first Norman conquest of Ireland took place -- 100 years after England had met a similar fate.