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The Battle That Ended Christian Power In The Holy Land
The capstone to the long crusade era
In July of 1244, something unexpected shook the Holy Land. The great city of Jerusalem was captured. But the army entering the gates was neither Muslim nor Christian. It was an army of Khwarezmians. The Khwarezmians hailed from a piecemeal Persian state that had an adept cavalry force and was familiar with the region via their vast mercenary armies. When these mercenaries marched into Jerusalem, it sent both the Christians and Muslims into a frenzy. Neither side wanted to see the regional prize fall into the hands of a bit player.
In order to try and retake the city, both the Crusaders and the Egyptian Ayyubid Sultanate mustered their armies in a bid to angle for Jerusalem. After months of wrangling and mustering, the armies gathered in October. After weeks of marching and maneuvering, the Crusaders found themselves across from the Ayyubids at the village of Forbie in Gaza. The stakes were high. The winner would once again be the master of the Holy Land.
Each army was equally matched. The Egyptians mustered 5,000 cavalry and 6,000 foot soldiers. The Crusaders fielded 3,000 cavalry and 6,000 infantry. Neither side knew that the coming battle would be as decisive as it was.
