Battle of Jaffa (1192) - Prelude

Prelude

On September 7, 1191, after the Battle of Arsuf, the Crusader army proceeded from Arsuf to Jaffa, which the Crusaders took and fortified. Jaffa, they hoped, would be the base of operations in a drive to reconquer Jerusalem itself. As the winter of 1191–1192 approached, active campaigning was abandoned and further sporadic negotiations between Richard the Lionheart and Saladin were taken up, though without any immediate result. During the winter months, Richard's men occupied and refortified Ascalon, whose fortifications had earlier been razed by Saladin. The spring of 1192 saw continued negotiations and further skirmishing between the opposing forces. During this period, Richard began to receive disturbing news of the activities of his brother John and Philip Augustus. As the spring gave way to summer, it became evident that Richard would have to return soon to England to safeguard his own interests there.