Mongols, Mamluks and the fall of Jerusalem

In this podcast Dr Nicholas Morton (Nottingham Trent University) provides and introduction to the fall of the Crusader states from the Fourth Crusade to the fall of Jerusalem in 1291. Dr Morton illustrates how the Crusaders were able to regain control of Jerusalem in the early 13th century but lost it again in 1244, he describes the impact of the Mongols and the rise of the Mamluk Empire and the impact in Western Christendom in the collapse of this 200 year old enterprise.

The podcast examines some of the themes and perspectives that he covers in his book The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East.

1. What was the state of the Crusader states after the Third Crusade?
2. Why were the Crusader States able to recover somewhat in the early Thirteenth century?
3. How did the kingdom of Jerusalem manage to regain control over Jerusalem in 1229 (and yet lose it again in 1244)?
4. The defeat of the Seventh Crusade & the fall of the Ayyubids in Egypt.
5. Mongol invasions and the rise of the Mamluks after the battle of Ayn Jalut.
6. How did the internal politics of Europe affect European attitudes towards the Near East and the Holy Land?
7. How would you characterise the geopolitics and balance of power in the Near East after 1260?
8. What role did the Templars, Hospitaller and Teutonic Knights play in these events?
9. Was the decline and fall of the Crusader States simply a matter of geopolitics or did the Eastern Franks do anything to bring about their own decline?
10. What leads to the final fall of the Crusader states?
11. What was Christendom’s response to the collapse of the mainland Crusader States after the fall of the kingdom of Jerusalem in 1291?
12. What would be the legacy of defeat in Europe and the Levant? Did it influence European politics and sense of identity?
13. Have you looked at this topic in your recent book: the Mongol Storm?

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