Page 589

Ch. XVIII THE RISE OF SALADIN 589 
put to the test. He had a double conflict to wage: the external struggle
with the crusaders, and the internal struggle with the fissiparous tendencies
and the instability of the feudal armies. Military genius had but a small
part in the combination of qualities by which he fought the crusade to a
standstill. The long campaign was an almost unbroken succession of military
reverses and disasters; his generals were openly critical, his troops often
mutinous. It was by the sheer force of personality, by the undying flame
of faith within him, and by his example of steadfast endurance, that he inspired
the dogged resistance which finally wore down the invaders.