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Place must be 18 or over. Welcome to the History of Europe Key Battles, the Battle of Las Navas de Toulosa of the year 1212, Part 5 of 5.

During the second half of the 12th century, the Christian kingdoms had made little progress

in the reconquests of the Iberian Peninsula.

Mostly they had fought against each other and were often willing to ally with the Almahads, a Muslim dynasty from North Africa, if it gained them short-term

advantage. Such policies infuriated the popes in Rome, who repeatedly attempted to get the Christians

to join forces to combat the

common Muslim enemy, most often with little success. In the year 1210, however, the stakes were higher

than before. The Caliph of the Almahads, Arna Siair, also known by the Spanish as Miramamelein, having consolidated his power in North Africa, was gathering his forces for a major military campaign in Spain with the firm intention of erasing all Christian realms from the peninsula.

The kings of Spain who were to take part in the Battle of Las Navas de Toulosa were

Alfonso the 8th of Castile, Sancho the 7th of Navarre and Pedro II of Aragon.

Alphonse of the 9th of Leon, however, despite the grave threat from the Almohads, was still unwilling

to join forces with his fellow Christians.

The Muslim Christian conflict in Spain reignited in 1210 when the Almohads attacked Barcelona. Pedro II of Aragon turned back the offensive and responded

...