Battle_of_Hattin

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Battle of Hattin, 1187 The purpose of this paper is to provide a descriptive analysis and strategic approaches of the Battle of Hattin TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Introduction.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Current Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Approach for Analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Solution of the Battle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Strategic Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Appendix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 2    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The objective of this paper is to analyse the Battle of Hattin and identify strategies that can be applied in a contemporary business context. The Battle of Hattin represents a pivotal moment in the history of the Crusades during the late twelfth century. In the period antecedent to the battle, the Christians ruled the most scared of holy places, the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Known as the Holy Land, Jerusalem was and remains religiously significant for both Christianity and Islam, as it is the place of Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection and also the place of Mohammed’s ascension to heaven. Economic and social reasons also underlined the building tensions between Christianity and Islam over this region. The Middle East was far more advanced and prosperous than Europe at this time and represented an escape from the concept of omnipresent sin that pervaded through society. During the First Crusade the Christian dominance was established and this was closely contested in the Second Crusade. The period leading up to the Battle of Hattin was a time of great unrest for the Christian Crusader States and a time of unification and solidarity amongst the surrounding Arab States. Thus the stage and tone for the Battle of Hattin was set. The Crusaders, under the command of their newly anointed King, made many strategic errors that led to their own undoing. The Muslims on the other hand acted out of the strategic precision of their leader, Saladin. The Arabic leader’s knowledge of the climate, terrain, his own capabilities and that of his opponents helped him choreograph the unravelling of the Crusaders and his ultimate victory. As such, modern day business concepts such as environmental scanning, internal analysis and competitive assessment can be seen as derived from strategy in war. In a similar sense, when applying business tools such as SWOT to the battle, competitive advantages and alternative solutions are revealed. On July 4, 1187 the Muslim forces emerged victorious under the command of Saladin. The Christian defeat signalled declining Christian power in the region as Saladin united and ruled the whole empire as one. It also acted as a catalyst for the Third Crusade in which Richard the Lionheart attempted and failed many times to re-establish Christian rule over Jerusalem. The power struggle between competing faiths over this Kingdom has become a great source of unrest in medieval and modern history. Although many centuries have passed since Saladin’s victory, this paper hopes to demonstrate that several lessons in strategy can still be taken from it and applied in a contemporary context. Word Count: 428 3    INTRODUCTION The Battle of Hattin is one of the most historically significant battles in the history of strategic warfare. It brought about the 12th Century collapse of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was, for many centuries, and remains a very religious place for Christians and Muslims. The power struggle between these two religions centered around the control and rule over the city. The two parties to the battle were the Crusaders under the command of King Guy, and the Muslims under the command of Saladin. The Battle of Hattin represents a change in the momentum during the intervening years of the Crusades. The Crusader states watched their power and influence decline in the region as Saladin united the surrounding regions under one rule. Tensions amalgamated in the Battle of Hattin and subsequently revealed the shift in political and strategic dominance. Saladin demonstrated the importance of strategic vision in this battle. Through environmental scanning, internal assessment and analysis of his enemy, Saladin was able play to his greatest strengths whilst manipulating the battlefield and using the environment to best weaken his enemy. On July 4th in 1187 at Horns of Hattin, the Saladin’s forces won a victory over the Crusaders. As a result of the battle, Saladin recaptured Jerusalem and several Crusader-held cities. Much of the Crusader forces were taken prisoner and killed as a consequence. Further analysis of the battle reveals very few alternative strategies that could have been taken by the Crusaders to avoid such a definitive defeat. Although there were opportunities internal weaknesses in the structure of the Crusader commanding body prevented them from being seized. The Crusader loss at Hattin acted as a catalyst for the third and final crusade and ultimately an indicator of their fate but two years later. 4    HISTORY The Importance of the Holy Land The Holy Land is a region in the Levant. Its main city is Jerusalem. For centuries different people have been fighting for control over city because of its major importance for all three large monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Jewish settlers have been in the region since the 10th century BC but it became much more important when, according to the Torah, King David captured the city and made it the capital of the ‘United Kingdom of Israel’. Thus the old temples were built and although the Jewish lost control over the city, they remained a very big group within the city. As the Old Testament is part of the Christian bible the reasons mentioned above also influence Christianity. However, of central importance are Jesus’ life, Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension in Jerusalem. The city is also one of the most important sites of pilgrimage. Muslim faith is built upon the other existing monotheistic religions and therefore accepts their prophets. In Islam, Jerusalem is the third holiest city and it is the site of many important mosques. According to the Koran Jerusalem is the place where Muhammad ascended to heaven. Apart from the religious reasons it was of interest for every big power to own the land as important trade routes led through it. This produced tax revenue that funded troop recruitment and gave the owning faith a lot of prestige. Situation before the Crusades Europe Back in the 10th century the Arab world was much more advanced than Europe. Important European kingdoms like France and Spain were not very developed and the land was governed by lordships. There was dirt on the streets and illnesses everywhere. The societies were riddled with famines and petty lordship fighting. Getting away was a big motivation for people to participate in the crusades. The world of the Middle Ages was also deeply concerned with religion. Sin was feared everywhere and the only institution that could change that, the Roman Catholic Church was politically too weak. In 1088 the newly elected Pope Urban II was working on a plan to bring the church back on the political map. A letter from the Byzantine Emperor asking for help against the advancing Muslims was a good opportunity to achieve this goal. Arab World The Arab World before Islam was mainly characterized by people living as nomads and being organized in tribes. With the foundation of Islam the tribes were united under one leadership and expanding rapidly (see Appendix A). By subduing various Arab tribes internal problems were created which were initially tackled by ignoring them and focusing on conquering other territories. 5    Unlike in Europe the scientific knowledge of the past was absorbed and developed further, which was an important advantage for the Arabs. The First Crusade (1096 – 1099) In 1095 the Pope called for a crusade to defend Constantinople and win back the holy city of Jerusalem. In exchange for their military services, fighters would be relieved of their sins and go straight to heaven. Furthermore there was a lot of wealth in the region, which attracted the knights. Armies from France, Germany and Italy set out to re-conquer Jerusalem. The result of the crusade was the foundation of the crusader states: Kingdom of Jerusalem, Edessa, Antioch and Tripoli. The Second Crusade (1145 – 1149) The Arabs could not immediately take back Jerusalem because there was a lot of infighting between strong local rulers. Zengi, governor of Aleppo, managed to unite Northern Syria and captured the Crusader state Edessa. The fall of Edessa led to the Second Crusade where the French king set out to re-conquer Edessa. Due to various mistakes, however, he lost most of his army. Shiite Egypt was also opposed to the Sunnis in Syria and close to joining the Christians until an army of Crusaders slaughtered an Egyptian town. Zengi’s son sent his general Saladin to help and conquer Egypt. Eventually Saladin took power. Before the battle After the death of King Baldwin V, Guy of Lusignan, Baldwin’s father in law was chosen to become king of Jerusalem. However, his rule was contested by other crusader states, especially by Tripoli’s count Raymond III which nearly led to a war. At the same time Saladin united the Muslim states around the Holy Land and a truce was established which allowed Muslim pilgrims to travel to Jerusalem. Reynald, a Christian nobleman, however, broke the truce by attacking Muslim caravans and even threatening to attack Mecca. Due to their dispute Raymond shortly allied with Saladin. However, he reconciled with Guy when a group of Christian noblemen and knights were killed by Saladin. After this defeat Guy and Raymond assembled their armies at the fortress of Sephorie. As Saladin thought that he couldn’t beat Guy when attacking his fortress he made a plan to draw him out to the open battlefield. In order to make him leave his fortress and water supply at Sephorie, Saladin captured Raymond’s fortress of Tiberias. Although Raymond understood that it was Saladin’s plan to draw out the Crusaders and was prepared to give up Tiberias, Guy decided to attack Saladin and started marching towards him. 6    History of the Armies Crusader Army After conquering the Holy Land several religious orders were founded, the most important being the Knights Templars and the Hospitallers. These troops were an elite heavy cavalry and the first standing Crusader army. At the Battle of Hattin these troops formed the central part of the army. Another source of soldiers was the feudal levy which required citizens of the crusader states to do military service for a certain period of time every year. In order to match Saladin’s number of soldiers the emperor had all men who were fit for military service join the army. Finally, the last group was volunteers – pilgrims and sailors. Apart from the knights most soldiers were badly trained and equipped. Muslim Army The Muslim army consisted mainly of troops raised by the feudal levy. Other troops were the Mamluks which were slaves and various volunteer soldiers. In order to raise a big army Saladin had divisions come from Syria (~4,000 troops) and Mesopotamia (~6,000 troops) to unite them with his personal guard (~4,000 troops). The majority of his Egyptian troops however, stayed in Egypt. Both sides also used mercenaries to increase their army numbers. CURRENT STATUS 7    Interests at Stake Jerusalem was and remains a very holy place for both Christians and MuslimsBoth sides contested for control over the area. For Saladin and his Islamic allies, the recapture of Christian-ruled Jerusalem was highly anticipated. For the newly crowned and unpopular King Guy, the battle appeared to be an opportunity to prove his leadership among his people and fend off what he perceived was an encroaching Islamic State. For both rulers, victory would consolidate their leadership internally and externally against enemies. As such, Reynald at the behest of King Guy attacked Muslim pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem, thereby voiding the peace treaty and provoking war against Saladin. People Crusaders were made up of following commanders: Guy of Lusignan, Raymond III of Tripoli, Gerard de Rideford, Balian of Ibelin and Raynald of Chatillon. King Guy was the newly crowned ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. His ascension to the crown was widely contested as the previous king, Baldwin VI, was his wife's son by a previous marriage. As a result he was widely unpopular and this perhaps fueled his desire to defeat Saladin as a testament to his ability and strength to rule. Amongst King Guy's greatest allies was Reynald. Raymond III of Tripoli was in control over the Northern Part of Kingdom of Jerusalem, Tiberias. Like many in the kingdom, he disliked King Guy. Before the Battle of Hattin Raymond signed a peace treaty with Saladin, which created much disagreement among Crusaders. However, later he joined the Crusaders was the one to advise King Guy to stay at Sephorie, and wait for Saladin. Balian of Ibelin a supporter of Raymond, commanded the rearguard during the battle. Gerard de Rideford led Templars to the battle. Against Raymond’s advice, he and Reynald of Chatillon encouraged King Guy to attack Saladin. Reynald of Chatillon was the closest ally of King Guy. It was he who attacked traveling Muslim pilgrims to Jerusalem, which sparked the beginning of the battle. In total army of Crusaders made up 20,000. 15000- infantry, 1200, night, 500 turcopoles. In the battle 17000 men lost their lives, 3000 escaped or were let free by Saladin. Saladin was the Commander and Chief of the Muslim army. In 1180 he made a peace treaty with Crusaders, King Baldwin VI, He became a first emperor of Egypt and Syria. He is known best for winning the Kingdom of Jerusalem from Crusaders. At the height of power, he also ruled Mesopotamia, Hejaz and Yemen. Taqi al-Din was the Umar and Lord of Hama. A close advisor of Saladin, he led the right flank during the battle. Gokburi was a ruler of Harran and Edessa, he also commanded the the left flank in the battle. The composition of the Crusader army came from many different sources. The arriere ban by King Guy called for all men of military age assist in battle. Crusader forces were thus 8    characterized by uneven training as religious pilgrims, sailors and visiting nobility joined the Knights of the Templar and Hospital of John in their campaign against Saladin. Whilst the Knights of the Templar and the Hospital were revered to be elite cavalries at the time, the rest of the troops were largely untrained, ill equipped and divided by the disunity amongst the senior leadership. A hostile and untrusting environment amongst the Crusader senior leadership persisted throughout the campaign. King Guy’s recent ascension to the crown was widely unpopular. As such, reluctant alliances were formed particularly between Count Raymond and King Guy for the sake of religious and proprietary consistency. On the other hand, Saladin had a far greater source of manpower at his disposal following the consolidation of his rule in the Arab world. Saladin’s army is estimated to be at least 45,000. He had divisions come from Syria (~4,000 troops) and Mesopotamia (~6,000 troops) to unite them with his personal guard (~4,000 troops). Mamluks, Arabs, Bedouins and Turks formed the Muslim army. Mamluks were slave troops devoted to Saladin and served as his elite bodyguards. Although Arabs and Bedouins possessed greater regional alliance than loyalty to Saladin, Saladin possessed no doubt as the loyalty of his generals thereby ensuring a centralized leadership. Saladin’s greatest source of manpower came from the Turks. Here the Muslim competitive advantage was forged, mobility through light cavalry. Weapons The Crusader core army traveled heavily armed. The mounted Knights of the Templar and Hospital were armed with a lance and kite shield. Both the Knight and their warhorse wore chainmail for protection. Volunteer troops making up the bulk of the army were armed with spears and crossbows. The small contingent of light cavalry used bows, spears and shields. For the most part, degree of armory differed according to the capacity the individual or his master had to purchase such weapons. In contrast, Saladin’s troops were generally very well equipped. The Mamluk bodyguards wore metal armor and were equipped with bows, lances and maces. The Arab light cavalry were armed with lances and swords whilst an estimated 14,000 Turkish archers wore light cotton-wadded armor whilst being mounted on small Yemeni steed. Saladin’s infantry was variously armed with shields, bows, swords and spears. In addition to these forces, Saladin also commanded over a number of engineers and miners who were very efficient in bringing down fortifications in anticipation of a defensive Crusader strategy. Battlefield Organization Prior to the Battle - Setting the Battlefield The Crusaders divided their marching army into three distinct units. The vanguard and rear guard were both ‘designed to absorb the impact of contact and to allow the main army to form a battle line’. The vanguard also had the added responsibility of reconnaissance. However this was impaired by the lack of light cavalry such that the Crusaders lacked the knowledge to wage a successful campaign against Saladin. Each unit had both infantry and cavalry. While the infantry protected the cavalry from the Muslim 9    archers the cavalry sought to prevent the infantry from being encircled by the opposing cavalry. In order to prevent the Crusaders from reaching Hattin, their closest water source, Saladin sent his fastest cavalry west to slow down Crusader forces in the desert whilst maintaining a presence at Tiberias. The two sides engaged a few miles east of Sephorie. Muslim infantry attacked from the east and north whilst cavalry attacked with horse archers and from the west. Consequently, the Crusaders were encircled and forced to make camp just short of their objective, Hattin, and it is here where the battlefield was set for their defeat. During the Battle (see Appendix B) At the commencement of the Battle, the Crusaders were arranged into three divisions taking a rough diagonal formation from east to west. King Guy led the main army with the Count Raymond led vanguard to their north-east and the Balian led rear guard to their south-west. The vanguard was the closest to the township of Hattin, their closest source of water. During the night, Saladin’s troops had successfully encircled the Crusaders in preparation for the next day’s battle. Saladin’s right flank led by Taqi al-Din was positioned to the north-east of the Crusader vanguard and his left flank led by Gokbori was positioned to the north-west of the Crusader rear guard. Meanwhile, Saladin led his main army to the south of both the Crusader main army and rear guard, thereby preventing any passage of retreat. Finally, the brush that was set on fire earlier on the morning of the battle sealed off this U formation. Features The climate of the region between Sephorie and Tiberias in July is estimated to have been very hot, upwards of thirty degrees Celsius daily and reaching thirty-seven to thirty-eight degrees at midday. The Crusaders chose not to be burdened by supply lines as they sought to reach Tiberias within a day. However their journey required a march up a steep incline towards Tiberias with very few sources of water (see Appendix C). This combination of factors made the Crusader objective implausible such that the decision to do so proved fatal to the cause. Whilst the natural elements waged a war of attrition against the Crusaders, Saladin’s forces were strategically placed to use the environment to simultaneously add to Crusader misery and strengthen Muslim morale. Unrestricted supply lines and access to water at Lake Tiberias kept Saladin’s troops well-armed and nourished. Saladin used the climate and terrain to weaken his enemy. Psychological warfare was used to exacerbate Crusader exhaustion and thirst. Crusader troops were subject to disruptive drumming throughout the night and smoke from burning brushes to the north of the camp such that on the morning of the battle Crusader troops were sleep deprived. Saladin also delayed engagement with the Crusaders during the day to allow the heat to work against his enemy. Strategy 10    The weakening of the Crusader forces began prior to the Battle with Saladin subjecting Crusader forces to shock attacks. This was a hit-and-run strategy using Muslim horse archers to weaken the Crusader’s capacity to fight during the battle. Saladin employed a number of tactics to execute two main strategies: envelopment and division. Saladin was able to successfully envelop the Crusaders when they were forced to make camp while in transit to the township of Hattin, in the U formation as previously described. The Crusaders were thus surrounded by the morning of the 4th of July, the day of the Battle of Hattin. Crusader attempts to break free from the envelopment unwittingly assisted in Saladin’s second strategic objective; to divide Crusader forces for ease of attack. The Count Raymond led vanguard was unable to rejoin the main army after it successfully broke through the Muslim envelopment. Forced to leave the Battle, Crusader forces were substantially weakened without its vanguard and unable to successfully execute their box strategy. This was fatal to their campaign. The Crusaders had a competitive advantage in their heavy cavalry. Their strategy for victory required their heavy cavalry to be engaged in hand-to-hand battle. However they were denied execution of their strategy for a number of reasons. Due to superior mobility of the Muslim forces the Crusaders were unable to engage their heavy cavalry appropriately to deliver an injurious blow to Saladin’s crusade. Further, the desertion of Crusader infantry due to exhaustion and thirst exposed the Crusader cavalry to the Muslims. Saladin’s troops targeted the warhorses to eliminate this Crusader advantage. This heavy reliance on infantry meant that the Crusaders were predispositioned to be a defensive force. The Crusaders lacked the mobility or manpower to engage in an effective offensive strategy against Saladin’s troops. As such, the Crusaders were strongest behind their fortifications and the decision to advance and attack Saladin was an ill-conceived one. APPROACH FOR ANALYSIS 11    The key to Saladin’s victory was his strategic vision and manipulation of the strengths and weaknesses of his army and that of his opponents. Strengths of Saladin’s Army Saladin’s competitive advantage upon entering the Battle of Hattin was his army’s ability to be mobile. Saladin’s light cavalry outnumbered that of the Crusaders significantly. Such mobility allowed for valuable reconnaissance missions to gather enemy information, it quickened response times to changing Crusader tactics and granted greater control of the battlefield. Saladin also commanded more manpower during the battle and was party to more alliances with surrounding kingdoms, including the Christian stronghold, the Byzantine Empire. The Muslim forces also had an advantage in a centralized leadership in Saladin. This was in stark contrast to the senior leadership amongst the Crusaders. An atmosphere of distrust, hostility and inexperience fostered poor decision-making. Weaknesses of Saladin’s Army Saladin’s army had no answer to the Crusader’s heavy infantry and cavalry. In a hand-to-hand battle, Saladin’s light cavalry orientated army would be at a distinct disadvantage. Saladin thus used his strength of mobility to avoid engaging in such a battle. Due to widespread sources of manpower, Saladin possessed a logistical weakness in adequately supplying his forces with food and weaponry. This is particularly the case when all the forces were being gathered in anticipation of the battle. Opportunities that Saladin exploited Saladin exploited many of the natural elements to the detriment of the Crusaders. By taking siege of Tiberias and luring the Crusaders beyond their stronghold of Sephorie, Crusader forces faced an arduous inclining journey. Following, Saladin used disruptive tactics and delay to exacerbate Crusader exhaustion and thirst. In thwarting the Crusaders journey to their new objective, Hattin, Saladin ensured that his enemy remained weak and thirsty. The taking of this opportunity allowed Saladin to determine the battlefield and ultimately won him a swift victory. Threats to Saladin’s campaign Widespread and expansive supply lines due to various places of origin were vulnerable to attacks by Crusaders prior to and during the battle. Due to the punishing climate and terrain, Saladin needed to keep his army hydrated, nourished and armed over long distances. This was an alarming point of vulnerability. This analysis reveals two alternative strategies that the Crusaders could have executed to increase the likelihood of emerging victorious from the battle. An opportunity was open to be 12    taken in the period leading up the battle. Due to many sources of manpower, Saladin’s troops had to travel far distances and from many origins to gather in preparation for battle. Their supply lines would have thus been long and exposed and soldiers would have been weary and divided in their march. There was a comparatively smaller unit of troops at the meeting point at Damascus (see Appendix D) and Saladin would not have been adequately prepared for an attack while waiting on the rest of his forces to gather. This was an opportune time for a surprise attack. At this point, the Crusaders possessed a strategic advantage in many fronts. The Crusaders had greater manpower, were required to travel a smaller distance to engage and would operate with shorter and more secure supply lines. A divide and conquer strategy would have been assisted by the fact that Saladin’s troops were marching separately from their various points of origin. The Crusaders could have also overwhelmed each Muslim unit with its greater numbers. It was a weak and divided Crusader leadership that failed to seize this opportunity to procure a swift and preemptive victory during Saladin’s most vulnerable moment. In an alternative strategy that could increase the likelihood of avoiding defeat, the Crusaders could have remained behind their stronghold at Sephorie after the taking of Tiberias. In battle, Crusader strategy is a defensive one. This is due to their reliance on heavy infantry and lack of mobility. Staying behind their fortress at Sephorie would have strengthened this strategy. Furthermore, Sephorie ensured secure supplies, food and water sources. In this alternative the option to engage remains with Saladin, however unlikely to be taken. Due to the seasonal nature of his troops, it would be unwise for Saladin to attack the Crusaders in such a way, as he could not keep his men in battle indefinitely. The Crusaders on the other hand would be secure behind their fortress and able to remain in action for as long as it is required. Saladin’s competitive advantage of mobility is extinguished in this scenario and he would be forced to rely on his heavy cavalry, infantry and artillery to fight the Crusaders all areas in which he lacked in comparison to his opponents. Should Saladin decide not to engage or be forced to withdraw due to time, the Crusaders could have avoided war altogether. SOLUTION OF THE BATTLE 13    There are various reasons why the crusaders were defeated. However, the main reason was the critical mistake of leaving a secure fortress (Sephorie) to fight a battle that was not necessary to be fought. The reasons can be grouped into four categories: leadership, army, environment and strategic vision. Leadership Internal fighting between the Christian noblemen led to a weakening of the kingdom. There was no trust between the King and Raymond, which gave Saladin the chance to win battles that boosted Muslim confidence. The Muslims, on the other hand, were united under a strong ruler with absolute command over all his troops. Army Although having spent nearly 100 years fighting the Muslims, the Crusaders didn’t adapt to their mobile fighting style and still relied solely on heavy cavalry and light and medium infantry. Christian heavy cavalry came from feudal levy and the religious orders of the Templars and the Hospitallers. Infantry, on the other hand, was raised by calling for every man of military age to fight, including pilgrims and sailors. Thus, most of Crusader infantry was badly trained and equipped. Furthermore, the army was not very mobile because heavy cavalry had to be protected by infantry to avoid archers shooting them down; and infantry need the cavalry to defend against approaching enemies. Thus, once separated they were very vulnerable. The Muslim army existed nearly entirely of units raised by feudal levy. They were organized in regional compounds and used to fighting together. In contrast to the Crusaders army they were used to fighting together and very mobile due to the large number of horse archers. Environment When deciding to march towards Tiberia the Crusaders did not account for the harsh conditions. As it had been the hot season with temperatures of up to 40 degrees extra provision for water, food and rest should have been made. The way to Tiberias consisted of a heavy ascent to a plateau that leads to the city. This further exhausted the troops. In complete disregard of these points the Crusaders didn’t set up any supply chains and didn’t bring any reserves of water. Strategic Vision The largest mistake, however, was that the Crusaders left the safe haven of Sephorie to fight the Muslims in the first place. Saladin was not strong enough to capture Sephorie or the other border fortresses (of which Tiberias was not part). Also, after the end of the fighting season he had to disband his army as required by the Arab feudal levy agreement. So the Crusaders could have waited for Saladin to leave and could have retaken the city afterwards without losing territory or their army. Also the assumption that the whole Christian army could march all the way from Sephorie to Tiberias was very risky; especially when the army was under the constant attack of Arab archers as they had been subjected to for five days prior to the battle. The decision is especially questionable when looking at the gains the Crusaders could have archived compared to the risk they took. STRATEGIC MESSAGE 14    To analyze the case from a business point of view we will look at the key mistakes of the Crusaders and at the good tactics of Saladin and apply them for a company. The following key mistakes of the Crusaders can be identified: Have a strong, united leadership As could be seen in the example of the Crusaders a divided leadership leads to disagreements, discouragement and wrong decisions which can seriously threaten an army’s or company’s existence. In the case study the Crusaders’ army was destroyed and their whole existence in the Holy Land endangered because a weak and divided leadership could not work together effectively to prevent the opponents offensive actions. Similarly a company needs a unified leadership that can make decisions based on rational factors and not motivated by separate, personal objectives of a few individuals. Assess the situation properly In addition to the infighting mentioned above, the decision to fight Saladin was partly based on a wrong assessment of the situation. There was no need for the Crusaders to fight Saladin. Saladin’s army, made up of soldiers raised by the feudal levy, had to disband by the end of that fighting season so he could not have held on to Tiberias. Additionally Sephorie was a very strong position from which every part of the kingdom could have been reached easily which shouldn’t have been left. Third, if the Crusaders had compared the risk they took when attacking Saladin to the gains they possibly could have achieved, rationally the battle wouldn’t have happened. For a business that means that a detailed analysis of the situation is necessary, taking into account all the important factors before major decisions are taken. This can be done by applying a factor analysis, for example by using PESTLE. This is very closely related in the next point: Consider external environmental conditions In the Battle of Hattin the Crusaders didn’t account for the harsh weather and terrain conditions they would face when walking towards Tiberias. When planning the strategy for a company the environmental factors have to be taken into account to avoid unexpected developments. To do so the sector, trends and factors have to be analyzed. As mentioned in point 2 a PESTLE analysis can be used to analyze the factors. In addition to that Porter’s Five-forces model can be used to analyze the sector. Make realistic assumptions about your capabilities The Crusaders clearly overestimated themselves when they decided to walk all the way from Sephorie to Tiberias in one day. For that not to happen they should have had a clear picture of the capabilities of their army. When designing the strategy of a company you should analyze the internal environment so you know what your company is able to do and what not. A SWOT analysis can assist 15    decision makers with adopting the correct policies such that the company will not be overstretched and similar disasters like the Battle of Hattin won’t happen. Plan your supply and logistics When marching to the battle the Crusaders didn’t bring any water with them and had no plan on how to supply the army. Just like Crusaders should have done, a company has to plan ahead on how to support its operations with the necessary materials. In the days of the Crusaders supply wagons were used, nowadays technologically advanced methods of transport and Management Science can be used to efficiently calculate the optimal flow of materials with the lowest amount of costs. Adapt to opponent’s fighting style (behaviour) After nearly 100 years in the Holy Land the Crusaders still had the same army set up as they had in Western Europe and did not adapt to the different approach by the Muslims. In the case of the business this can mean that we have to pay attention to changes in our opponents fighting style and to new entrants in our market. New entrants might come into the fight with new ideas about how to produce, approach customers, structure the business, price products etc. In order not to lose ground you have to adapt your own behavior so the advantage of your opponent is mitigated. The situation is similar when we enter a new market as we might have to change the way we do business to be able to compete. Saladin’s tactics: Shut out your enemy’s friends and ally with his enemies Before the battle, Saladin allied with the Byzantine Empire and Raymond III. Similarly he shut out the Principality of Antioch by forcing them to sign an agreement of truce. These actions decisively weakened the Kingdom of Jerusalem and already brought in some imbalance. In the business world in can be a good idea work together with opponents’ competitors to strengthen your position and weaken the others’. However, as his competitors might also be your competitors you have to carefully pay attention not to give up your advantages and making the opponent a dominant force. Deceive your enemy so he leaves a strong position In the battle the Crusaders were in a safe and strong position and initially didn’t leave it although Saladin did raids into Crusader territory. So, Saladin had to give the Crusaders a proper reason to come to fight which he did by capturing the fortress of Tiberias. In business there also can be the situation where your competitor is in a very strong position which cannot be taken by you directly. There, it might be appropriate to start a new battle in a related sector to draw your competitor out and make him divert his resources. This weakens his position in the original market and makes him more vulnerable to attack. Word Count: 5363 Appendix A: Saladin’s Empire 16    Appendix B - Battle of Hattin 17    Appendix C – Topographical map of the battlefield 18    Appendix D – Map of Region: Damascus, Battle of Hattin and Jerusalem 19    References 20    Online Sources 1. Elwar, E. (17 October 2010), “Battle of Hattin,” 2. Hickman, K. “The Crusaders: Battle of Hattin,” 3. Rickard, J. (12 December 2001), “Battle of Hattin, 4 July 1187,” Academic Essays 1. Swards J.A (September, 2004) “Swarming and the Future of Warfare” 2. Olson W.E. (Georgetown University, Washington D.C., 1983) “The Battle of Hattin, 1187” 21