Richard the Lionheart
1157 - 1199

Richard Lionheart was Richard I, king of England 1189 - 1199.

A Crusader by heart, Richard and King Philip Augustus of France kicked butt during the Third Crusade, which took place 1189-1192.

Richard's prowess and tremendous energy became legendary. He was an excellent soldier.

Besides being Richard I King of England, he was also the Duke of Aquitaine, Poitiers, and Normandy, and Count of Anjou.

Richard was so excited about going on Crusade that he completely forgot to appoint a deputy ruler who could keep things together while he was gone. Therefore, his weaknesses were absence of foresight and sense of responsibility. He also could be hot-tempered and capable of great cruelty.

His successes, on the other hand, were that he managed to accumulate the money to raise a formidable naval fleet and an army, with which he departed for the Holy Land. Even though he was not able to re-capture Jerusalem, he made a truce for three years with Saladin that gave Christian pilgrims free access to the holy places.

On the way back from the Holy Land, he was captured in Vienna. His country had to pay an enormous ransom, but he eventually recovered all his lands and power he once held.

1199-1204 - On the death of King Richard, his brother John claims
and makes himself master of England and Normandy and the other
large continental possessions of the early Plantagenet princes.

Philip Augustus asserts the cause of Prince Arthur, John's nephew, against him. Arthur is murdered, but the French king continues the war against John, and conquers from him Normandy, Brittany, Anjou, Maine, Touraine, and Poitiers.

RICHARD'S FAMILY
Richard's mother was the famous Eleanor of Aquitaine, his father was Henry II.

And here is the map of Richard's crusade

MAP OF EUROPE 1190
Click map to enlarge

See also the chart Governments in History.