"كتيّب سوريا (بما في ذلك فلسطين). لندن: إدارة استخبارات الأركان البحرية، يونيو ١٩١٩" [و‎‎٧‎٦] (٧٣٨/١٥٦)

THE PERIOD OF THE CRUSADES
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their hurried retreat. In 1129 troops from all the Latin states
shared in the enterprise, and they were assisted by a large
number of western crusaders. The clear cause of their failure
was the inclement weather (December). They gained the
castle of Baniyas by the treachery of its governor. In 1148
large forces were employed. The king of France (Louis VII)
and the German emperor (Conrad) both took part. Yet only
five days were spent in fighting amongst the orchards on the
outskirts of the town. The decisive causes of the retreat are
obscure. Probably the chief influences were international
jealousies and the action of those who had been opposed to
the attack from the beginning. In all these expeditions in
sufficient preparation and insufficient appreciation of the
difficulties beforehand suggest themselves as causes of failure.
It is significant that in each case the Latins were only a few
days, at most, in the neighbourhood of Damascus. The first
two expeditions crossed the Jordan south of Lake Tiberias,
and approached Damascus from the south by the Pilgrimage
road. The third left Latin territory at Baniyas, which was
then a Latin stronghold.
The reign of Nur ed-dln Mahmfid (1146-74), Zanki’s son and
successor, began with vigorous and successful attacks on
Latin territory in the north (1148-9). His acquisition of
Damascus (1154) is a landmark in the history, because now
at last all Moslem Syria was united under one ruler. After
a period of comparative peace Nur ed-din’s general, Asad ed-dln
Shirkuh, fought with Amalric of Jerusalem for the possession
of Egypt (1163-9), while Nur ed-din waged war in Syria. Nur
ed-din’s capture of the border castles of Baniyas and Harim
in one year (1164) is highly significant. No attempt could be
made to save Baniyas, because the main part of the Latin army
was in Egypt. Antioch and Tripoli tried to save Harim,
helped by Greek and Armenian troops from Cilicia. The Latin
army was large (12,000-13,000 ?), and so was Nur ed-din s. The
issue turned against the Latins when the victorious knights
rode off in pursuit, leaving their infantry to defeat (August
1164). After the occupation of Egypt, its governor was Salah
SYRIA K