October brings together decisive dates for the military orders
Between the 13th and 14th centuries, the military orders played a prominent role in the Crusader States of the Near East. Templars, Hospitallers, and Teutonic knights participated in military campaigns, defended fortresses, and administered territories and assets, and several dates in October allow us to follow their evolution from the leadership of Hermann von Salza to the arrest of the Templars in France in 1307.
Below, we will review some of the dates corresponding to the most significant events over the course of a century, with an emphasis on October.
October 3, 1210 – Hermann von Salza, Grand Master of the Teutonic Order
Hermann von Salza became Grand Master of the Teutonic Order in 1210, and during his tenure, he strengthened the order's relations with Emperor Frederick II and the papacy, and performed diplomatic duties between the main political and religious authorities of the time.
His rule lasted until 1239 and coincided with the transformation of the Teutonic Order into a military and political force of greater reach.
From 1210 to 1244: growth of the military orders
During these decades, Templars, Hospitallers, and Teutons expanded their properties, fortresses, and resources.
The orders participated in the campaigns of the Crusader States and maintained relations with kings, emperors, and popes.
The temporary recovery of Jerusalem also occurred through Frederick II's agreement in 1229, which strengthened political and military activity in the Holy Land.
October 17, 1244 – Battle of La Forbie
On October 17, 1244, the Battle of La Forbie took place near Gaza, in which the forces of the Ayyubid Sultan as-Salih Ayyub and his allies defeated the army formed by forces of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
The defeat caused enormous losses among the three orders of Christian knights; the battle severely weakened the military capacity of the Crusaders, especially that of the Temple, since the dead included Armand de Périgord, the Grand Master.
From 1244 to 1246: reorganization after La Forbie
After the defeat, the Templars, Hospitallers, and Teutons had to reorganize their troops and reinforce the positions they still controlled.
The Kingdom of Jerusalem remained under heavy military pressure, and the Crusaders assumed a significant part of the defense of the cities and fortresses that remained in Christian hands.
October 30, 1246 – Innocent IV and the mission of Lope in Morocco
Pope Innocent IV commissioned the Order of Santiago to assist Lope, Bishop of Morocco, in his religious and diplomatic activities in North Africa.
This action occurred during a period of intense activity for the military orders outside the Holy Land, while the knights of Santiago participated in campaigns and projects related to the expansion of Christian territories and provided support for initiatives promoted by the papacy.
From 1246 to 1258: rivalries and cooperation
During these years, the three main Christian orders combined military cooperation with disputes over properties, influence, and strategic positions.
In Acre, the rivalries between the Venetian and Genoese communities also pitted the orders against each other, as they supported different sides during the so-called War of Saint Sabas.
October 9, 1258 – Agreement between Templars, Hospitallers, and Teutons in Acre
In 1258, Templars, Hospitallers, and Teutons reached an agreement in Acre intended to reduce their internal clashes.
Cooperation between the three was of particular importance in the face of the military pressure that Christian territories were suffering and the need to coordinate their resources against the Muslims.
From 1258 to 1307: retreat of the Crusader States
During the second half of the 13th century, the offensives of the Muslim elite governing Egypt and Syria progressively reduced the territories controlled by the Crusaders.
The fall of Acre in 1291 meant the loss of the main Christian enclave in the Holy Land, so the Crusaders then moved a good part of their activities toward other territories, especially Europe and the Mediterranean.
October 13, 1307 – Arrest of the Templars in France
On October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the simultaneous arrest of the Templars in his domains, and among those detained was Jacques de Molay, Grand Master of the Order of the Temple, who would remain imprisoned until 1314, when he was executed in Paris.
The French authorities also confiscated the order's properties and began interrogations of its members.
The arrests began the process that would lead to the disappearance of the Order of the Temple.
At that time, Pope Clement V intervened in the conflict between the French monarchy and the Templars, and although he initially questioned Philip IV for ordering the arrests without his authorization, he ended up yielding to the pressure and even helped to arrest the Templars in other Christian territories, until he finally suppressed the order officially in 1312.
