Second Crusade

Second Crusade
Part of the Crusades and the Reconquista
Illustration of the Battle of Inab by Jean Colombe from the Passages d'outremer by Sébastien Mamerot, c. 1473–1474
Date 1147–1150 Location Iberia, Near East, Egypt Result See § Aftermath Territorial changes Lisbon captured by the Portuguese Tarragona and Tortosa captured by the Catalans
Belligerents
Kingdom of France Holy Roman Empire Byzantine Empire Kingdom of England Kingdom of Sicily Kingdom of Portugal County of Barcelona León–Castile Kingdom of Jerusalem County of Tripoli Principality of Antioch Knights Templar	Seljuk Empire Fatimid Caliphate Almoravids
Commanders and leaders
Baldwin III of Jerusalem Raymond II of Tripoli Raymond of Poitiers † Louis VII of France Eleanor of Aquitaine Alfonso Jordan Theodwin Conrad III of Germany Ottokar III of Styria Manuel Komnenos Thierry of Alsace Joscelin II, Count of Edessa Roger II of Sicily Afonso I of Portugal Alfonso VII of León and Castile Ramon Berenguer IV	Mesud Imad al-Din Zengi X Nur ad-Din Mu'in ad-Din Unur

The Second Crusade (1147–1150) was the second major crusade launched from Europe. The Second Crusade was started in response to the fall of the County of Edessa in 1144 to the forces of Zengi. The county had been founded during the First Crusade (1096–1099) by the future King Baldwin I of Jerusalem in 1098. While it was the first Crusader state to be founded, it was also the first to fall.

The Second Crusade was announced by Pope Eugene III, and was led in the east by European kings Louis VII of France and Conrad III of Germany, with help from a number of other European nobles. The armies of the two kings marched separately across Europe. After crossing Byzantine territory into Anatolia, both armies were separately defeated by the Seljuk Turks. The main Western Christian source, Odo of Deuil, and Syriac Christian sources claim that the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos secretly hindered the crusaders' progress, particularly in Anatolia, where he is alleged to have deliberately ordered Turks to attack them. However, this alleged sabotage of the Crusade by the Byzantines was likely fabricated by Odo, who saw the Empire as an obstacle; moreover, Emperor Manuel had no political reason to do so. Louis and Conrad reached Jerusalem in 1148, where the remnants of their armies participated in an ill-advised attack on Damascus that ended in their retreat. Crusader efforts were successful in Iberia, where several territories—including Lisbon, the future capital of the Portuguese Empire—were conquered.

The initial response to the new crusade bull, with incipit Quantum praedecessores, was poor, and it in fact had to be reissued when it was clear that Louis VII of France would be taking part in the expedition. Louis VII had also been considering a new expedition independently of the Pope, which he announced to his Christmas court at Bourges in 1145. It is debatable whether Louis was planning a crusade of his own or in fact a pilgrimage, as he wanted to fulfill a vow made by his dead brother Philip to go to the Holy Land. It is probable that Louis had made this decision without having heard about the bull. In any case, Abbot Suger and other nobles were not in favour of Louis's plans, as he would be gone from the kingdom for several years. Louis consulted Bernard of Clairvaux, who referred him back to Eugene. By now Louis would have definitely heard about the papal bull, and Eugene enthusiastically supported Louis's crusade. The bull was reissued on 1 March 1146, and Eugene authorized Bernard to preach the news throughout France.^[1]