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Battle of Alarcos

Type Event Region Spain Time 1195

In July 1195, the Almohad caliph Abu Yusuf Ya'qub (Yusuf II) returned to Iberia with North African reinforcements and fought a decisive battle near A…

Timeline

  1. 1195Al-Andalus–Castile frontier · SpainYusuf II crossed from North Africa, leading the Almohad main force into al-Andalus and besieging Requena and other places; Alfonso VIII summoned Castilian and Leonese reinforcements and marched south to meet them, and the two sides formed a standoff along the Alarcos line.
  2. 1195Alarcos · Castilla-La ManchaThe two armies engaged in battle near the fortress of Alarcos. Almohad cavalry charges broke the Castilian lines; Alfonso VIII was defeated and fled, many nobles and knights were killed or captured, and the Christian coalition suffered a devastating blow.
  3. 1195Southern Castilian frontier · CastileAfter the defeat, Castile abandoned its southern offensive; the Almohads pressed their advantage, and many castles and towns south of the Tagus fell or were forced to pay tribute. The momentum of the Christian Reconquista was checked, and the balance of power between north and south in Iberia shifted markedly.

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