Anushah Khan
Reasons for the failure of the Second Crusade:
Poor leadership & logistcal hardship (Runciman & Mayer)
Overconfidence led to a lack of preparaton- poor communicaton w/ east led to the failure to capture Edessa-
lacked leadership and resources
There had been no communicaton w/ Outremer before 1147
Louis VII of France: (blamed as the main reason by Mayer)
● Louis’ aim was not to reconquer Edessa, rather for penance for his sins-t/f lacked clear military objectve
● Contracted for a feet of Byzantne vessels to transport army safely to Antoch- was not enough for the
army- bulk of army, inc foot soldiers, had to march to Antoch- shows a lack of resources and leadership
● Early 1148- French soldiers massacred by the Turks @ Laodicea
● Weakened conditons caused crusader army to lose formaton
● Turks saw vulnerability & atacked t/f causing thousands to die- William of Tyre suggested this was a
punishment for their sins
● Humiliated Louis handed control of the March to the Templars @ Mt. Cadmus
● Refused to cooperate w/ reasonable suggestons of Raymond of Antoch (suggested to atack Aleppo- lack
of Nur Al Din’s resources as he did not control Mosul- his bro Sayf Al Din did) due to alleged afair
between Eleanor of Aquitaine & her uncle Raymond
Conrad III:
● Should have waited for the French to join him but he didn’t
● Raymond of Antoch & Joscelin II had hoped for a bigger army
● Arrival @ Nicae- decided to take same route to Antoch across central Anatolia- near Dorylaeum met a
Turkish army- complete contrast to the success of Batle of Dorylaeum in 1097; Conrad’s forces virtually
defenseless- almost entrety of German nobility wiped out
● He fell gravely ill @ Ephesus- retreated to Byzantne- treated by Manuel- lef army w/out leader
June 24th 1148- 2 Kings assembly @ Acre of all barons and leading clergy- capture of Edessa concluded to not be
possible due to poor army- instead decided to atack Damascus- this was a poor choice:
- Ally of Jerusalem & Nur Al Din had recently married atabeg of Damascus’ daughter- failed atack would
make them vulnerable to Muslim infuence
- Decision to move to the Eastern side of Damascus- low water supply-gave up a highly defensible positon
to atack a weaker positon of the city’s defenses- found themselves in an untenable positon- forced to
retreat
Lack of clear aims:
● Crusade set out in 3 dif directons: East, North & Southwest
● North- Wendish (Baltc) crusade:
- Bernard convinced the Pope to accept- bc Bernard had preached a war of redempton rather than armed
pilgrimage-
- Large body of German crusaders wished to fulfil their crusading vow by waging war on the pagan Wends
living east of Elbe river
- Aimed to convert by the sword
● Southwest:
- Eugenius issued a seperate bull authorising a crusade in Spain against Spanish Muslims
- Lords in Northern Spain/Southern France joined w/ the Genoese to contnue struggling to restore Islam in
the Iberian Peninsula
● Diversion of the first band of Crusaders:
- Inc Flemish, Norman & English soldiers
- Whilst passing through Portugal- heard King Alfonso I was conductng a siege of Muslim held Lisbon-
wanted crusader assistance- majority favoured bc Alfonso promised they could plunder city afer capture
- 3 month siege- Lisbon surrendered in Oct 1147
● Council @ Acre- completely indecisive over whether to atack Ascalon or Damascus- complete
abandonment of the inital purpose of the crusade: Edessa
Reasons for the failure of the Second Crusade:
Poor leadership & logistcal hardship (Runciman & Mayer)
Overconfidence led to a lack of preparaton- poor communicaton w/ east led to the failure to capture Edessa-
lacked leadership and resources
There had been no communicaton w/ Outremer before 1147
Louis VII of France: (blamed as the main reason by Mayer)
● Louis’ aim was not to reconquer Edessa, rather for penance for his sins-t/f lacked clear military objectve
● Contracted for a feet of Byzantne vessels to transport army safely to Antoch- was not enough for the
army- bulk of army, inc foot soldiers, had to march to Antoch- shows a lack of resources and leadership
● Early 1148- French soldiers massacred by the Turks @ Laodicea
● Weakened conditons caused crusader army to lose formaton
● Turks saw vulnerability & atacked t/f causing thousands to die- William of Tyre suggested this was a
punishment for their sins
● Humiliated Louis handed control of the March to the Templars @ Mt. Cadmus
● Refused to cooperate w/ reasonable suggestons of Raymond of Antoch (suggested to atack Aleppo- lack
of Nur Al Din’s resources as he did not control Mosul- his bro Sayf Al Din did) due to alleged afair
between Eleanor of Aquitaine & her uncle Raymond
Conrad III:
● Should have waited for the French to join him but he didn’t
● Raymond of Antoch & Joscelin II had hoped for a bigger army
● Arrival @ Nicae- decided to take same route to Antoch across central Anatolia- near Dorylaeum met a
Turkish army- complete contrast to the success of Batle of Dorylaeum in 1097; Conrad’s forces virtually
defenseless- almost entrety of German nobility wiped out
● He fell gravely ill @ Ephesus- retreated to Byzantne- treated by Manuel- lef army w/out leader
June 24th 1148- 2 Kings assembly @ Acre of all barons and leading clergy- capture of Edessa concluded to not be
possible due to poor army- instead decided to atack Damascus- this was a poor choice:
- Ally of Jerusalem & Nur Al Din had recently married atabeg of Damascus’ daughter- failed atack would
make them vulnerable to Muslim infuence
- Decision to move to the Eastern side of Damascus- low water supply-gave up a highly defensible positon
to atack a weaker positon of the city’s defenses- found themselves in an untenable positon- forced to
retreat
Lack of clear aims:
● Crusade set out in 3 dif directons: East, North & Southwest
● North- Wendish (Baltc) crusade:
- Bernard convinced the Pope to accept- bc Bernard had preached a war of redempton rather than armed
pilgrimage-
- Large body of German crusaders wished to fulfil their crusading vow by waging war on the pagan Wends
living east of Elbe river
- Aimed to convert by the sword
● Southwest:
- Eugenius issued a seperate bull authorising a crusade in Spain against Spanish Muslims
- Lords in Northern Spain/Southern France joined w/ the Genoese to contnue struggling to restore Islam in
the Iberian Peninsula
● Diversion of the first band of Crusaders:
- Inc Flemish, Norman & English soldiers
- Whilst passing through Portugal- heard King Alfonso I was conductng a siege of Muslim held Lisbon-
wanted crusader assistance- majority favoured bc Alfonso promised they could plunder city afer capture
- 3 month siege- Lisbon surrendered in Oct 1147
● Council @ Acre- completely indecisive over whether to atack Ascalon or Damascus- complete
abandonment of the inital purpose of the crusade: Edessa
