Second Crusade

Second Crusade

The Second Crusade was the second major crusade launched from Europe. It was started in response to the fall of the County of Edessa in 1144 to the forces of Zengi. The crusade in the east was a failure for the crusaders and a great victory for the Muslims. The Crusades were the most successful of the medieval European crusades.

About Second Crusade in brief

Summary Second CrusadeThe Second Crusade was the second major crusade launched from Europe. It was started in response to the fall of the County of Edessa in 1144 to the forces of Zengi. The crusade in the east was a failure for the crusaders and a great victory for the Muslims. The only significant Christian success of the Second Crusade came to a combined force of 13,000 Flemish, Frisian, Norman, English, Scottish, and German crusaders in 1147. It would ultimately have a key influence on theFall of Jerusalem and give rise to the Third Crusade at the end of the 12th century. After 1291 Northern Crusades Popular crusadesAgainst ChristiansAgainst OttomansReconquista Iberia. After the First Crusade and the minor Crusade of 1101, there were three crusader states established in theEast: the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Principality of Antioch and the Countyof Edessa. The County of Tripoli was established in 1109 and was subject to frequent attacks from the surrounding Muslim states ruled by the Ortoqids, Danishmends and Seljuq Turks. After 1143 both the Byzantine emperor John II Comnenus and the King of Jerusalem Fulk of Anjou died. Both armies were separately defeated by the Seljuk Turks. In 1148, the remnants of Louis VII of France and Conrad III of Germany participated in an ill-advised attack on Damascus. The army stopped and helped the smaller Portuguese army in the capture of Lisbon, expelling its Moorish occupants.

The armies of the two kings crossed Byzantine territory into Anatolia, where they were attacked by 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. The crusades were led by European kings, namely Louis VII and Conrad, with help from a number of other European nobles. The first of the crusades was announced by Pope Eugene III, and was the first to be led by French king Louis VII. The second was led by German king Conrad III and French King Louis VII, and took place from 1147 to 1148. The last crusade was the Third, led by Henry the Lion and his son Henry the Great, and lasted from 1150 to 1160. The Third Crusade was launched by King Henry II of England and lasted until 1291. The Crusades were the most successful of the medieval European crusades, and were followed by a series of smaller ones, including the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth. They were all led by different European monarchs, with the exception of the Fifth and Seventh Crusades, which took place between 1170 and 1180. The First Crusade was started by King Baldwin I of Jerusalem in 1098. The Second Crusade began in the year 1098 and was followed by the Fourth and Fifth Crusades in 1099 and 1099.