The Second Crusade was the second major incursion among a series of religious wars, lasting from 1147 to 1150.[1] Originally meant to shore up Crusader control over the Holy Land, the crusade ended with the European armies' humiliating retreat from the Middle East following a failed siege of Damascus.[2]
History[]
Prelude[]
The call for the Second Crusade was triggered in 1144, when atabeg Imad al-Din Zengi laid siege to and captured the city of Edessa, the capital to one of the Crusader states, outposts of Christianity in the Levant established during the First Crusade. With psychological pressure from Pope Eugene III, as well as the First Crusade's success looming over many European nobles' houses, many pledged to take part in the military expedition, among them, King Conrad III of Germany, King Louis VII of France, and a young Frederick Barbarossa.[2]
The invasion[]
The invading forces proved themselves to be overconfident and underprepared, being repeatedly defeated by the Seljuk Turks in Anatolia. An attempt to besiege the city of Damascus, then allied with the son of Edessa's conqueror, Nur al-Din Zengi, was made and led to a retreat after only five days.[2]
Aftermath[]
The European defeat bolstered Muslim confidence, which had been low since their own defeat in the First Crusade, and allowed Nur al-Din to accrue power, drawing together different sections of Muslim society though his capabilities as a warrior and pious man. The Second Crusade's failure also strained Louis VII's and Eleanor of Aquitaine's marital relations and led to the annulment of their marriage in 1152.[2]
Appearances[]
- Echoes of History (first mentioned)
References[]
- ↑
Second Crusade on Wikipedia
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Echoes of History – Assassins vs Templars – Episode 1: The Crusades