Why the Second Crusade Was Unsuccessful

327 Words2 Pages
Why was the second crusade unsuccessful? BERNARD • his decision to expand the crusade and include Conrad and the Germans against the wishes of the Papacy Bernard’s role in increasing the focus of the crusade beyond the Near East, unlike the First Crusade with its focus on Jerusalem, the Second Crusade included expeditions in the Iberian peninsula and against the Wends on the Baltic coast. ATTEMPTED TO ACHIEVE TOO MUCH • the scale of the endeavour, a war on three fronts, the dissipation of effort to the Holy Land, Iberia and the Baltic the loss of maritime support for Louis and Conrad. MUSLIM UNITY • the rise of Zengi, ruler of Aleppo and Mosul • his capture of Edessa on 24th December 1144 • Zengi’s popularity and use of Jihad Nur ad-Din and the siege of Damascus. FRANKISH RESPONSIBILITY • the weak leadership and power vacuum provided by King Baldwin III and his mother Melisende • divisions over crusade aims between King Louis, Count Raymond and Count Joscelin • the events at the council of Acre in June 1148 and divisions between the Palestinian lords and the crusaders the decision to attack Damascus, an ally of Jerusalem and the events of the siege. LACK OF BYZANTINE HELP • the difficulties faced by Louis and Conrad crossing Anatolia, lack of byzantine guides and supplies • Manuel’s relationship with the sultanate of Rum events at Dorylaeum and Attalia. LACK OF CLEAR AIMS • Unlike the First Crusade with its focus on Jerusalem, the Second Crusade included expeditions in the Iberian Peninsula and against the Wends on the Baltic coast – it simply attempted too much. Edessa lacked the earlier resonance of Jerusalem in the First Crusade. The call was to save the Holy Land, generally defined. ‘Crusade’ meant different things to different groups – against Jews in Germany, pagans in Eastern Europe, Muslims in southern Spain and Muslims
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