King Baldwin IV the Leper

Strategy: Baldwin held the line, launched preemptive strikes, and tried to avoid getting involved in pitched battles, wisely using the resources of the crusaders. 3. Internal strife: The last years of the reign were overshadowed by the struggle of the court parties (nobility and the Templars) for influence over the dying king.

Military achievements and reign

The kingdom's main enemy was Sultan Saladin (Salah ad-Din), who united Egypt and Syria.

1. The Battle of Montgisard (1177): The pinnacle of Baldwin's glory. He was 16 years old. With just 500 knights (and a few thousand infantry), he launched a surprise attack and utterly routed Saladin's army, which numbered up to 26,000 warriors. The king, who could barely hold a spear in his right hand, fought in the front ranks, believing that God Himself was helping him.

Accession to the throne In 1174, King Amalric I died suddenly. Baldwin was only 13 years old. The coronation took place on July 15 in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Since the king was a minor (and doomed to childlessness), power was concentrated in the hands of the regents. Initially, Mille de Plancy usurped power, but he was soon assassinated, and his cousin, Count Raymond III of Tripoli, became regent.

Childhood and diagnosis Baldwin was born in 1161. At the age of two, his parents divorced because they were too closely related, but the boy remained at his father's court. In 1170, the renowned historian William of Tyre (Archbishop) became his mentor. One day, William noticed a terrifying symptom: while playing, the children were pinching each other, but the prince felt no pain. Baldwin's right arm became numb. This was the first sign of leprosy.

Family tree and origins

Baldwin belonged to the Jerusalem branch of the House of Gâtinais-Anjou. His lineage was closely connected to the highest nobility of both Europe and the East.

Father: Amalric I (King of Jerusalem). A strong politician who sought an alliance with Byzantium. · Mother: Agnes de Courtenay. A noble Frankish lady from Edessa (one of the first crusader states). · Paternal grandfather: Fulk of Anjou, former Count of Anjou (ancestor of the future English Plantagenet kings). · Paternal grandmother: Melisende of Jerusalem - the legendary queen who ruled after the death of her husband. Sisters: Sibylla (his full sister) and Isabella (his half-sister, from his father's second marriage to Maria Comnena). It was their descendants who would spark a fierce struggle for the throne after Baldwin's death.