t was again at that time that the
Crusaders were enmeshed in a leadership dispute which had been going on since
1185. While the Franks argued over who should be the true leader of the
Crusader states, the Muslims shifted their forces
and prepared for war. The Templars were once more walking the tightrope,
trying to maintain a balance between all the factions. By remaining mostly
noncommittant but still rendering services to those who requested them, they
managed to serve many masters whose interests clashed often with vigour.
aymond, Count of Tripoli, had made
a truce with Saladin, which the other leaders
thought was traitorous. The truce was delicate and hard to maintain. Still,
King Guy of Jerusalem needed Raymond's help against the Muslims, and therefore
he seeked reconciliation with Raymond. For some reason whose logic is completely
unintelligible, he chose Gerard de Ridefort, Grand Master of the Order, to
head the negotiating party. Gerard was the most outspoken enemy of Raymond,
but still he was sent to Tiberias to try and get Raymond to fall in line
with the rest of the Franks.
t the same time, Al-Afdal, one of
Saladin's sons, wanted to cross Raymond's land, and according to the rules
of the truce, he stopped to request Raymond's permission to do so. When the
Grand Master learned that Al-Afdal's forces had made camp just outside Nazareth,
he collected a team of 90 Templars and prepared for attack. Both the Master
of the Hospitallers, Roger of Moulins, and the Marshal of the Templars, James
of Mailly, tried to restrain Gerard, but he would not listen.
he Grand Master led his troops in
a headlong attack against the numerically vastly superior Muslim contingency,
much in the same fashion as was seen in the Charge of the Light Brigade later
in military history. In the process of attack, he managed to get all but
himself and two or three other knights killed. In this attack, a very important
portion of the best knights in Palestine were senselessly lost, which was
later to be regretted. Al-Afdal, on the other hand, had only been attempting
a transfer of troops, but by sheer luck he managed to wipe out a big bunch
of knights. The Grand Master was of course fingered as the cause of the stupid
attack, but he retained his position. Muslims rejoiced very much over the
death of Roger of Moulins, whose fierce valour in battle was feared by many.
