How did Frederick I’s death affect Saladin’s response to the Third Crusade?

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Medieval manuscript miniature showing Frederick I as a crowned crusader holding an orb and scepter, with Henry of Schaftlarn kneeling and presenting a book to him. — Frederick I Frederick I as a Crusader with (right) Henry of Schäftlarn dedicating to him a copy of the *History of the First Crusade* by Robert of St. Remy; miniature from a manuscript in the Vatican Library.

Saladin and his forces had been deeply wary of the arrival of Frederick I, who led the largest Crusader army assembled up to that point in the Third Crusade. When Frederick drowned in the Göksu River in June 1190, the event significantly altered the trajectory of the conflict.

For Saladin and the Muslim forces, the emperor’s sudden death was perceived as an act of God. The loss of Frederick crushed the morale of the German army, causing the majority of his troops to return home. Consequently, the German contribution to the Crusade was minimized, effectively removing a major military threat that Saladin had been preparing to face.1