The second crusade began in 1147. It was launched by the pope Eugene III after the fall of Édesse in 1144, and was completed in 1149 by a total failure for the cross , which returned in Europe without to have gained military victory in Orient.

Fall of the Comté of Édesse

The Christian had made a success of the impossible one by taking again the town of Jerusalem to the Musulmans in 1099. After the battles of Ascalon, where they pushed back the Egyptian army of help, they founded four Latin States, which were quickly insulated in the East. Confronted with the Turks on a side and with the Byzantine of the other, the cross were in quasi-permanent state of war. In addition, on many pilgrims had decided to turn over to Europe after the crusade, satisfied to have filled their oaths and pressed to find their grounds and their families.

The prosperity of the Kingdom of Jerusalem having weakened its warlike spirit, and the internal quarrels reducing its resources, when the frontier fortress of Édesse falls to the hands from Zengi from Mosul, the December 24th 1144, the situation of the Christian kingdom becomes critical.

By learning the news, the pope Eugene III emits, on February 1st 1145, the pontifical Bulle Quantum praedecessores , calling with a new crusade. This call remains initially unanswered, although the King de France, Louis VII thinks of launching itself a crusade. In December 1146, Bernard de Clairvaux, preaching that the crusade is a means of obtaining the grace and the discharge of the sins, tries to convince the emperor of the Saint Germanic Roman Empire, Conrad III of Hohenstaufen. During this time, other Germanic princes spread the idea of a crusade near the people Slaves in the North-East of the empire. They are authorized with launching the Baltic Croisades. The pope also authorizes a Croisade in Spain against the Moor S, although a war is already for some time committed. In 1147, an English fleet which goes in the Mediterranean takes Lisbon, then with the hands of the Moors and Tortosa in 1148. Nevertheless, this fleet will never arrive in Syria.

Bernard de Clairvaux preaches the crusade

There was no popular enthusiasm for the crusade as one had been able to observe it in 1095 and 1096. However, Bernard de Clairvaux, one of the most estimated most famous men and Christendom of the time, had the idea to promise the discharge of all the sins made with those which would take the cross. March 31st 1146, in the presence of the king Louis VII, it preached the crusade with an huge crowd, Vézelay. Following its sermon, the assistance started to claim crosses, so much so that it is told that the fabric had suddenly missed and that Bernard de Clairvaux itself gave his dress so that crosses there are cut. With the difference of the First Crusade, the new company attracted sovereigns of all Europe, following the example Aliénor of Aquitaine, which was then queen of France, but also Thierry of Alsace, count de Flandres; Henri, future count de Champagne; Robert Ier de Dreux, brother of Louis VII; Alphonse I {{er}} of Toulouse; Guillaume II of Nevers; Guillaume III of Warenne, 3rd Count de Surrey; Hugues VII of Lusignan, and many other noble and bishops. But the crusade still accepted a larger support on behalf of the people.

The crusade in Spain and in Portugal

Mid-May 1147, the first quotas left the England; it was about Flemish, of Frisons, Normands, English, Écossais, as well as some German. Neither prince nor king took share with the crusade at this stage; in fact, England knew a period of anarchy at this time. They arrived at Oporto in June, and the bishop of the place the convainquit to continue until Lisbon, where had gone the king Alphonse Ier of Portugal when he had learned that a crusade was in way. The Spanish crusade having already received the approval of the Pope, and since it was a question also of fighting the Musulmans, the cross agreed to join Alphonse. The head office of Lisbon began on July 1st; the city fell the October 24th, and the crusaders delivered themselves to plundering before giving the city to the king of Portugal. Some settled in Lisbon, among which Gilbert de Hastings, which was elected bishop; but most of the fleet took again its road towards the East in February 1148. Almost at the same time, under the control of Alphonse VII of Castille and Raimond-Berenger IV, Count de Barcelone, the Spaniards took Almeria; in 1148 and 1149, it was the turn of Tortosa, Fraga and Lérida

Rupture with Byzance

The cross French and Germanic leave in May 1147. The indiscipline of the popular element, especially in the Germanic crusade, causes incidents with the passage of the army in the Balkans.

The French Army, which leaves Metz, moreover is more considerably slowed down thereafter wives, Aliénor of Aquitaine at the head (but also Sybille of Anjou, Faydide of Toulouse, Florine of Burgundy), and by their luggage. Passing after the Germanic army, and on only one road, it has evil to be supplied with Hungary. The presence of very many following causes many distractions with the camping, and diverts the spirit of pilgrimage ( castrated not casta , campings which do not have anything pure). Thus slowed down, the convoy spends five months to reach Constantinople, the October 4th.

The Basileus, Manual Ier Comnène, fears that the troops of cross do not reinforce the principality of Antioche, where he wants to restore his sovereignty, and that they weaken alliance germano-Byzantine against Roger II of Sicily. Indeed, while Conrad III and Louis VII refuse to lend homage to the basileus to the autumn, and retain thus the Byzantine troops, Roger II seizes Corfou and of Céphalonie, Corinthe and Thèbes plunders. Manuel Ier Comnène must conclude a treaty with the sultan Mas' ud I {{er}} from Rum.

Defeats counter the Seldjoukides

The army of Conrad III arrives the first at Constantinople but the relations between the Germanic emperor and the Byzantine Empereur, Manuel Ier Comnène, are tended. The German ones, wishing to cross the Minor Asia as quickly as possible, thus do not await the French and leave towards Édesse. Conrad III divides its army into two units. One of it is destroyed by Seldjoukides at the time of the battles of Dorylaeum, the October 25th 1147. Other division is also massacred with the beginning of the year 1148, and is turned over from there to the meeting of the French Army.

The relations of the Byzantine emperor with the French Army are better than with the Germanic army, but he refuses nevertheless to provide him reinforcements and even makes promise to return to the Byzantine Empire any territory taken to the enemy. The French Army meets the survivors of the Germanic army with Nicée. To avoid having to cross the deserts of Anatolia like the Germanic army, the king of France chooses a longer route. But, with the Epiphany 1148, in the processions of the Mount Cadmos, the avant-garde is separated from the convoy, and the Turks inflict a defeat with the French Army.

See also: Battle of the mount Cadmos

The survivors of the two armies arrive finally in Syria by the sea. The king Louis VII follows the littoral, but badgered in the valley with the Méandre, must give up the non-combatant ones with Antalya (Attaleia) and embarks for Antioche with its knights. Conrad III, reconciled with Comnène Handbook, gains Acre on Byzantine vessels. The bad relationship between the cross and Byzance, as well as between themselves, reduced three-quarter the forces of the crusade.

Failure of the Head office of Damas

In Jerusalem, Conrad III convinces Baudoin III to attack Damas, in spite of the truce between the kingdom of the cross and the city. The others cross want to attack Alep, less better defended, which would allow an easier access to Édesse and would limit the takeover of Nur AD-DIN in the area. The head office of Damas begins the July 11th 1148 and lasts less than one week. The crusaders, installed on a plain without water point in full sun must withdraw themselves. Conrad III and Louis VII return in Occident without any military victory.

Unhappy consequences for the crusaders

After the attempt of the head office of Damas, the city refuses any negociation with the cross and Nur AD-DIN takes control in of it 1154. Baudouin III of Jerusalem makes the error to take Ascalon in 1153, which brings the extent of the conflict until in Egypt which will lead later to the catch of Jerusalem by Saladin.

Bernard de Clairvaux leaves humiliated failure the crusade and suffers from it in terms of credibility. He rejects the fault of it on the sins made by the crusaders. Of this failure, the crown of France loses also much in strategic financial terms, policies, soldiers and (cf article Louis VII, assessment of the second crusade).

Anecdote

A legend tells that the cross returning demolished of Damas in Syria, brought back of it a variety of Prunier to prunes. They then were criticized, by saying that they had gone there low “for plums”, current expression meaning: for " not large chose" , even " for rien".

External bonds

• History of the pilgrimage of Jerusalem

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