AHC Kingdom of Jerusalem lasts until 1400

Kingdom of Jerusalem

I think the keys are to create a more defensible and economic geogragphy. To do this you need to create control of the inland cities that reduces bases of attack form the Muslims.

First Crusade:
A. Have Antioch turned over to the Byzantines, and have the troops that were based their go to Edessa. Now you have a strong Allie in Byz, and enough troops to defend the north (Edessa)

2nd Crusade :
Consolidate and listen to Byz advise in crossing Anatolia. he combined crusaders would have brought badly needed reinforcements and perhaps could have captured Damascus or better yet Aleppo. Aleppo would have further consolidated the northern part of the kingdom, brought a rich city into the KOJ, and eliminated a major attack point of the Muslims, as well as destroyed Zengi power.

3rd Crusade :
With the elimination of the Zengi threat the KOJ would not have lost Jerusalem, so who knows if the forces brought forth would have been as massive. Lets say it was. Now if you dont have Barbarossa go swimming and drown, then you have a massive German army marching south along the coast , and Kings Richard and Philip at Jerusalem. The really only main targets would be Damascus and Egypt. With the forces arrayed each would be realistic objectives and obtainable.

So you now have defensible borders, tremendous wealth, and inland areas protected from raiding which would allow for future population growth and increasing wealth. This is an area which could have survived well past the 1400's. The threats could only be mounted from Mosul or Bagdad. You do have the Mongols to deal with in the future.

I agree! How do the Venetians and Genoese figure into this? Do they control most of the kingdom's trade and provide it's fleet?
 
In addition to all said above, Jerusalem had terrible luck when it came to Kings and Queens-

Baldwin IV, dead of leprosy aged 24, reigned for 11 years.
Baldwin V, dead of illness aged 9, reigned (singularly) for a year.
Conrad of Montferrat, assassinated a few days after being confirmed king by election.
Henri of Champagne, dead at 31 by falling out of a tower, reigned for 5 years.
Maria, dead at 20 from complications of childbirth, reigned for 7 years.
Isabella II, dead at 16 from complications of childbirth.
Conrad II, dead of illness at 26, never set foot in the kingdom.
Conrad III, executed aged 16, never set foot in the kingdom.

If you cut down on regencies, or eliminate the 43-year period in which the theoretical monarch of Jerusalem was absent (and entirely focused on Guelph and Ghibelline struggles in Italy and the HRE) as well as have fewer female heirs (and therefor less controversial or outright disastrous marriages that lead to disunity) you could probably make for a stronger monarchy and cut down on internal squabbles. Thus allowing Jerusalem to conserve its power and take advantage of any opportunities for expansion in neighbouring places. This doesn't save the KoJ by any means, but it puts it in a much better position.
 

TinyTartar

Banned
The latest that the Christians held Jerusalem was after I think the 6th Crusade, which was a mostly diplomatic victory for the Holy Roman Empire achieved mostly due to Muslim infighting.

This did not last especially long.

Once Acre falls in 1291, the Crusaders are out of the Levant despite still holding the mostly Greek Christian Cyprus.

For this to happen, you need basically maximum Muslim disunity, and maybe for something to happen like the French Court en masse goes to Jerusalem sometime in the 12th century and brings settlers, mercenaries, and Papal (as well as most integrally, Northern Italian state) backing. This could happen because of the English taking the French throne or taking the throne and dividing it, leaving the Capets needing to go elsewhere.
 
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TinyTartar

Banned
I agree! How do the Venetians and Genoese figure into this? Do they control most of the kingdom's trade and provide it's fleet?

As time goes on, they, along with the Florentines, are going to be handling the trade, naval support, and supply of Jerusalem. This became clear almost immediately, and the reason the Crusader States were able to last as long as they did OTL was almost solely because of their support along with the financial support of the Church and the HRE.

A good turning point to look at would be the Alexandrian Crusade of OTL. The sack of the city gave the Italian states the run of things in the Mediterranean for a while. If this happens earlier, say, in the disastrous 5th or 7th Crusades, you see the Italian states and France for that matter able to supply Jerusalem with men and goods and wealth almost infinitely. The Crusaders would also be wise to ally with the Mongols when they come, establish some sort of agreement where they pledge fealty to the Khan and take as much of the Levant as they can, utterly destroy Muslim rule in the region, and are there to pick up the pieces and play power broker among the shattered Muslim realms in the aftermath.

Without the Ayyubids having the power that they had OTL, the later Crusades probably would have worked, and Italian support would have been forthcoming.
 
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