[October 1, 2018] There is a saying in the military that in war the victorious seek battle only after the victory has been won. Those that understand this also know that the study of great failures in leadership can teach us something victory cannot. A wise military historian once told me that I could learn more about military strategy by studying the Battle of Ḥaṭṭīn than studying the U.S. Civil War.
With the passage of time and the inevitable inaccuracies of contemporary writings on the battle, many lessons will be inevitably lost. The fog of war and the complexity of any large battle also conceal what may have happened But with this battle, more than eight centuries later, there is still much we can learn.
At the battle, the Christian Crusaders were surrounded and despite desperate attempts to breakout, were broken up and defeated.1 Dear readers, the following is only a coarse overview and much more can be learned from current writings on the subject. What I am interested here at https://www.theLeaderMaker.com is what we can learn from the defeat.
Here are a few lessons of the battle and what we can to not do as a leader:
- Don’t let emotion determine your path: Guy of Lusignan was the king of Jerusalem and at the time leading the Crusader states of the Levant. Guy feared that he would be seen as a coward and was one of the reasons he hastily ordered his army to march against Saladin the Muslim King.
- Know your enemy: The Muslim armies lacked the ability to successfully carry out siege warfare but were good at open-field battle. Because Saladin had laid siege to the fortress of Tiberias, Guy was advised not to go to that fortress’ defense; many miles from his location and engage the Muslim army in the open. By marching to Tiberias, Guy attacked the strength of Saladin’s army.
- Carefully choose your place of battle: In Guy’s march to the besieged fortress, his forces were constantly harassed. Water being a scarce commodity for an army in a desert environment, it was key to victory. Saladin was successful in keeping Guy from reaching any significant sources of water. Thirsty and demoralized, the crusaders also fought at a great disadvantage.
There are, of course, many more lessons. The affect of Guy’s loss was more than a simple defeat in battle. By assembling such a large Crusader force, the states had reduced their garrisons of their castles and fortified settlements. In the aftermath of the Battle of Ḥaṭṭīn, Crusader forces were no longer able to wage war and Muslims once again became the eminent military power in the Hold Land.
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Of course, the battle of Waterloo is one of the most famous and history changing battles.
I recommend the Siege of Orleans for your next post on battles: The French won the siege of Orléans, France, in May 1429 largely because of Joan of Arc, a teenage peasant whose visions of God led her to fight in the Hundred Years’ War. The English seemed to be winning their nearly six-month siege of the city; but when St. Joan appeared in the city, rallying the citizenry, suggesting tactical decisions and participating in the battle, the French retook the banks of the Loire River and defeated the invaders. The win boosted the morale of the dispirited French, who had been badly beaten at Agincourt, France, by Henry IV. Many say the battle saved France from centuries of English rule.
Good recommendation.
Yes, I agree with you Gen. Satterfield.
Special thanks to reader Terri for recommending this battle.
Thanks for a good article to start my day.
Another good, short article worth reading on the Battle of Hattin. https://worldhistoryproject.org/1187/7/4/battle-of-hattin
Thanks, Georgie.
Just read a little history, most of which was published before the PC historian agenda began to really get a better idea of the Battle of Hattin and other such key events in those times.
Some of the most famous battles of ancient history occurred during the crusades. Today’s historians are largely liberal and say that it was the European Christian crusaders who started the problems in what is now the Middle East. It would be good for them to travel back in time to see what really happened and it was not the Crusaders that were the bad guys.
The Battle of Hattin like so many of the times may seem simple and the lessons easy to learn. We might also think that it was stupid of King Guy to take on Saladin’s army in open warfare where the latter excelled. What we do know is that their ability to have good “reconnaissance” (a term of today) was neither efficient or effective. So many times, they just blundered into one another and the one with the best and most troops usually won.
Good point Bryan. I wonder if there are any historians who read Gen. Satterfield’s blog that may add to the discussion. I know many of us are military, police, etc. but are there any academicians that can help?
Good question.
Here’s an article that ties in the crusades with the battle.
https://www.thoughtco.com/the-crusades-battle-of-hattin-2360712
Good article Anita. I read it and it did provide some additional background. Like anything that occurs among us humans, there is always more to the story. To get a better view of what the leadership at the time was like, reading the historical background of this battle or any battle is worth it.
Yes, thanks for giving us a good article on it.
Excellent article on the Battle of Hattin. Thanks for giving us a leader-lesson spin on it.
I always get a good education on leadership topics when I come to Gen. Satterfield’s website on leadership.
Good article. I like your series on battles of the world. Maybe you could compile them into a short book. Thanks.
Lynn, you’re right about this. Not unusual for movie directors to take a piece of history and stick it anywhere. The battle and its aftermath are often seen as something to be remembered. That is why Gen. Satterfield reminds us of it today.
Thanks.
Movies and history are often not connected and when they do cross paths, history is the loser. I recommend that we all take a step back to reflect on what is written here. Just my thinking on the matter.
Very famous battle. Many of us have seen this in movies but never knew it was the Battle of Hattin.
So true!
🙂
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. We see it in movies but are never given the background.
Movies are not history. Our young children may think so but that is far from the case. Movies greatly distort or outright fabricate great historical events and this was one of them. Just my thinking.
Don’t even get me started on modern-day movies and how they portray the Christians always as the bad guy.