The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated in 1096 by European Christians in response to Muslim control of the Holy Land. The First Crusade succeeded in capturing Jerusalem in 1099, establishing the Kingdom of Jerusalem. However, Muslim leaders like Nuruddin and Saladin fought to recapture lands. Saladin defeated the Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin in 1187 and recaptured Jerusalem. This led to the Third Crusade which failed to retake Jerusalem. While the Crusades involved many campaigns over two centuries, they ultimately failed to permanently occupy the Holy Land and Jerusalem returned to Muslim control by 1246.