Dan Snow's History Hit The Knights Templar vs the Order of Assassins
Apr 9, 2026
Steve Tibble, historian and author of 'Assassins and Templars', gives a compact tour of the medieval rivalry between Nizari Ismailis and the Knights Templar. He explores their origins, mountain strongholds, covert tactics and banking prowess. Short, vivid stories cover famous attacks, clashes with Saladin, and how Mongols and Mamluks ended their power.
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Templars Were An International Standing Army
- The Templars were an international military order created to provide a standing force after the First Crusade.
- They functioned as the papacy's militant arm to defend the Holy Land when most crusaders returned home.
Fear Branding Made Small Orders Seem Huge
- Both groups punched above their weight by cultivating a fearsome brand and specializing in high-impact tactics.
- Templars used battlefield shock; Assassins used clandestine strikes to create a 'promise of death' halo effect.
Templar Ambush Sank Assassin-Frankish Deal
- Templar Walter de Maenil ambushed Assassin diplomats returning under kingly guarantee and killed them all.
- King Amalric tried to hang Walter and civil war nearly erupted before Amalric's death defused the crisis.
