The International Status of the Kingdom

For much of the reign of King Amalric I (1163-1174) the kingdom of Jerusalem seemed not only secure, but in a position of unparalleled strength in the region. By the early years of the reign of his son Baldwin IV, however, the situation looked very different. Increasingly, the kingdom became the concern of western European powers, particularly the Angevin Empire of King Henry II and the rising power of Capetian France under King Louis VII. In this week's podcast, Robert Effinger considers the "International Status" of the kingdom in this period, looking closely at the question of Henry II's intentions. Did the English king really intend to come to the help of the Franks in the Levant? What were the implications of his failure to act?