1212: The Day the Reconquista Turned — Las Navas de Tolosa and the Fall of Almohad Power

Описание: In the blistering heat of July 16, 1212, a smaller Christian coalition marched into a dusty valley south of the Sierra Morena and collided with the most formidable Muslim host ever assembled in medieval Iberia: the army of the Almohad Caliph Muhammad al-Nasir. What followed at Las Navas de Tolosa wasn’t just a battle—it was a pivot point that shattered the myth of Almohad invincibility, rewired the balance of power in the western Mediterranean, and accelerated the long shift of Iberia from contested frontier to Christian dominance.

This video traces the storm that led to the clash: the Almohads’ rise from Atlas Mountain reform movement to empire, Castile’s humiliation at Alarcos (1195), the diplomacy that forged a fragile Christian alliance, the crusade proclamation of Pope Innocent III, the cultural tensions that drove many French crusaders to abandon the campaign, and the legendary mountain pass that brought Alfonso VIII’s army onto the plains in a move that stunned the caliph.

Then we plunge into the fight itself—lines collapsing, reserves committed, the desperate push toward the caliph’s guarded position, and the moment panic turned defense into catastrophe. Finally, we explore what Las Navas meant: the Almohad decline, the coming fall of great Andalusian cities, and the way this single day became myth, memory, and political weapon for centuries.

If you’re into medieval warfare, crusades, al-Andalus, and the real story behind “turning-point” battles—this one’s for you.