Richard’s Decision to Attack Sicily and Cyprus (Edexcel A-Level History): Revision Notes

Richard's decision to attack Sicily and Cyprus

Overview

During the Third Crusade, Richard I of England made two significant military diversions before reaching the Holy Land. Rather than sailing directly to support the siege of Acre, Richard first attacked Sicily and then conquered Cyprus. These actions had important consequences for the crusade's finances and strategic position, though they also delayed Richard's arrival in the Holy Land.

Richard's attack on Sicily

Arrival in Messina

Richard I arrived in the Sicilian city of Messina on 22 September 1190. This was not a random stop on his journey east. Richard had a specific purpose: he intended to collect his sister's dowry from Count Tancred of Lecce, who ruled Sicily at the time. Richard's sister had been married to the previous Sicilian king, and upon his death, Richard believed he was entitled to retrieve her dowry.

The conflict with Count Tancred

When Richard demanded payment of the dowry, Count Tancred refused to hand over the money. This refusal presented Richard with a choice: he could either abandon his claim and continue to the Holy Land, or he could use force to obtain what he believed was rightfully his. Richard chose the latter option.

On 4 October 1190, Richard launched an attack on Messina. The assault was swift and successful. Within hours, the city was under Richard's control, and Tancred was forced to negotiate. Richard had demonstrated his military capabilities and his willingness to use them, even against fellow Christians, when he felt his interests were threatened.

Financial gains from Sicily

The conquest of Messina proved extremely profitable for Richard's crusading expedition. Count Tancred agreed to pay the dowry and additional compensation. By the time Richard set sail from Sicily with an estimated force of 17,000 troops, he had obtained 40,000 gold ounces from Tancred. This substantial sum would help finance the crusade's operations in the Holy Land.

However, Richard's actions in Sicily revealed certain aspects of his leadership that would prove controversial. He had diverted crusading forces to attack a Christian city, prioritised his family's financial interests, and delayed his arrival in the Holy Land. These actions raised questions about whether Richard was truly focused on the crusade's primary objective of recapturing Jerusalem, or whether he was more concerned with personal and financial gain.

Richard's conquest of Cyprus

The trigger for invasion

Richard's army departed Sicily on 10 April 1191, and initially the journey towards the Holy Land proceeded without incident. However, disaster struck when 25 ships from Richard's fleet went missing during the voyage. Three of these vessels had run aground on the island of Cyprus.

The independent Greek ruler of Cyprus, Isaac Comnenus, responded to this shipwreck in a way that Richard considered unacceptable. Rather than offering assistance to the stranded crusaders, Isaac imprisoned their crews and apparently intended to seize the ships and their cargo. This action gave Richard both a justification and a motivation to attack the island.

The military campaign

Richard invaded Cyprus on 6 May 1191. His military campaign on the island demonstrated his tactical abilities and the effectiveness of his forces. The invasion began with an assault on the coastal town of Limassol, which fell immediately to Richard's forces. This gave Richard a secure base from which to launch operations inland.

Richard then conducted a systematic campaign across Cyprus. His forces moved inland, capturing key strategic points and gradually tightening the noose around Isaac Comnenus. The decisive moment came when Richard's troops captured Kyrenia, where Isaac's wife and daughter were hiding. With his family in Richard's hands and his military position hopeless, Isaac had little choice but to surrender.

By 1 June 1191, just under a month after the invasion began, Isaac had capitulated and the entire island was under Richard's control. This swift conquest demonstrated Richard's military competence and the quality of his forces.

The sale of Cyprus

Having conquered Cyprus, Richard faced a decision about what to do with it. He chose not to retain direct control of the island, but instead to convert his conquest into immediate financial gain. Richard sold Cyprus to the Knights Templar for 100,000 bezants (Byzantine gold coins).

This sale had several important consequences. Firstly, it provided Richard with substantial additional funds for the crusade. Secondly, it placed Cyprus in the hands of a military order committed to the crusading cause, potentially making it a useful base for future operations. However, the sale also meant that Richard did not establish a permanent strategic foothold in the eastern Mediterranean, which might have been valuable for long-term crusading efforts.

Significance for the Third Crusade

Richard's attacks on both Sicily and Cyprus revealed important characteristics of his leadership during the Third Crusade. On one hand, both operations demonstrated his military skill, determination, and ability to achieve swift victories. They also provided crucial financial resources that would help sustain the crusade's operations in the Holy Land.

On the other hand, these diversions delayed Richard's arrival at Acre and raised questions about his priorities. While other crusaders had been fighting at Acre since 1189, Richard had spent months pursuing personal and financial objectives in Sicily and Cyprus. This pattern of behaviour reflected some of the same leadership weaknesses that had troubled earlier crusades, particularly the tendency of crusade leaders to pursue their own interests rather than focusing solely on the liberation of Jerusalem.

The financial dimension of Richard's actions was particularly significant. The 40,000 gold ounces from Sicily and 100,000 bezants from Cyprus provided substantial resources for the crusade. Medieval military campaigns were extremely expensive, and Richard's ability to finance his forces through conquest helped ensure that his army remained well-equipped and supplied when it finally reached the Holy Land.

Strategically, the conquest of Cyprus proved to be important for the crusading movement beyond the Third Crusade itself. Although Richard sold the island to the Templars, it eventually became a Crusader kingdom that served as a vital base for crusading activities in the eastern Mediterranean for nearly three centuries.