The Second Crusade: A Medieval World War - full documentary

11 44 the Crusader states of the Holy Land are in Peril Odessa captured by the First Crusade back in 1098 Falls to The Undefeated Warrior Chieftain zengi the Crusader States dispatch appeals for help to the Latin Christian kingdoms of Europe there the cause is taken up by Bernard of clairvaux the mid-12th Century's most influential Churchman Bernard goes before the king of France Louis VII and the Emperor of Germany Conrad III and urges them to lead their armies East for the Deliverance of the holy places for the first time in half a century Latin Europe is mobilized and warriors come forward in great numbers vowing to Crusade but the campaign grows into something far larger than even Saint Bernard initially imagined in the Iberian Peninsula King Alfonso the first of Portugal and King Alfonso VII of Leon Castile asked that the Crusade be extended to their battle against the alma ravids while on the Eastern Frontier the German Empire Henry the lion wants to lead a crusade against the Pagan winds this is the Second Crusade the first truly Continental crusading effort of the Middle Ages join us for the full powerful story guys before we delve into the Second Crusade I want to tell you about this outstanding new app I've been using blinkist the blinkist app enables you to understand the most important things from over 5500 non-fiction books and podcasts in just 15 minutes I jumped into the 5am club by Robin Sharma as a professional Creator the use of time is huge for me the 5am club is all about how early Rising can maximize your productivity creativity and success as you can see I can navigate through the key ideas within the book with this helpful list on the side plus that I can get the key ideas either as text or as audio I love listening to podcasts while I'm working on videos so this format is outstanding for me another similar book geared toward maximizing your potential is the Power of Habit by Charles dewig which is all about establishing and maintaining effective goal-oriented habits I hope you guys will check out both of these titles on blinkist I think you'll find a lot there that's helpful and now they've got blinkist connect which allows every blinkist Premium plan to be shared by two different accounts there is no no additional cost to you and it's free for the person you invite as long as you're sharing it with them so get started with blinkist today use my link in the description to get 25 off blinkist premium and enjoy two memberships for the price of one I'll see you guys at the 5am club on November 10 11 43 near the city of acre in the Crusader Latin kingdom of Jerusalem King Falk and queen melissand were enjoying an afternoon hunt as the Royal party pursued a hair through the scenic Countryside the king held his lands and urged his horse to gallop faster suddenly the king's horse stumbled and folk was thrown from his Steed and struck his head on the ground the king's companions at once slept from their horses to attend the injured Folk Queen melissan too rushed to the king's side as the queen held her husband's bloody body it was clear to everyone the King was dead melisand was inconsolable although she and the King had butt heads early in their reign they'd grown close over the years and together they'd ruled the Crusader Kingdom well for over a decade folk had been a wise ruler and a capable military commander he'd done much to bolster the Kingdom's defenses many important Frontier castles such as the famous trans Jordan castle of carrack were constructed during Folk's reign however Queen melisson was a capable ruler and her eldest son Baldwin was a healthy youth of 13 who had been educated to one day assume the throne on Christmas Day 11 43 the Nobles Knights and clergy of the kingdom of Jerusalem gathered in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to witness the crowning of melisand and her son Baldwin III the queen was expected to wisely guide the kingdom until Baldwin III was old enough to rule alone however for the Kingdom's greatest enemy the death of folk was a welcome event the atabeg zengi ruler of mosul and Aleppo had spent the past decade constructing a powerful State already he'd captured most of the turkish-held regions in Syria so rapidly and efficiently had zengi expanded that the Emir unar of Damascus forged an alliance with the Crusaders of Jerusalem to protect his own domains now zengi felt ready to mount a major offensive against the Crusaders zengi's reputation among his fellow Muslims was mixed IBN al-kalanisi a chronicler from Damascus understandably held a mostly negative opinion of the Great atabeg famously IBN al-kalanisi recorded zengi's treacherous dealings with the Garrison of balbec during the atabags long war with Damascus [Music] but when the Fortress was in his hands he violated his pledge and went back on his guarantee of security owing to a personal Grudge and irritation against its Defenders which he nursed in secret he ordered all to be executed and none of them escaped except those whose Destiny guarded them the people were horrified at his action and at such an unheard of breach of oath on his part but for many of the Turkish Warrior Elite zengi offered the best chance of driving the Crusaders from Syria and Palestine as zengey's conquests increased he gained the Loyalty of many Turkish emirs and commanders along with their Warriors zengi was undeniably the most powerful single opponent yet faced by the Crusaders meanwhile the two northernmost Crusader States the principality of Antioch and the county of Odessa were near to war Ming of Poitier Prince of Antioch and Jocelyn II of Odessa had long feuded over territorial disagreements and now with no strong King in Jerusalem to impose an accord between them the two seemed ready to settle their differences on the battlefield the shrewd zengi was keenly aware of this [Music] in November 1144 Jocelyn II was in the western part of his County with his best troops zengi gathered a large army of turkomans from the Jazeera between the upper Euphrates and the upper Tigris a region that the chronicler IBN al-atir tells us had often been raided by Crusader forces the atabeg launched a surprise attack on the great city of Odessa itself Odessa was strongly fortified with a large curtain wall and 45 towers as well as a citadel defended by an internal wall however at the time odessa's Garrison was lacking in troops and the citizens had no leader around which to Rally the population was made up primarily of Armenian Christians [Music] from Turbo cell count Jocelyn II received news that his Capital was Under Siege and once he appealed for Aid to his enemy Raymond of Poitier Prince of Antioch but Raymond refused to help meanwhile in Far Away Jerusalem Queen melissan organized a relief expedition to Odessa however Odessa was short of time zengey's catapults hammered at the city and his miners dug tunnels at last a huge section of the wall collapsed and zangi's forces stormed into the city What followed was a brutal sack thousands of the city's inhabitants tried to get into the Citadel many of them trampled to death in the Panic crowd IBN al-kalanisi says that the atabegs forces set to pillaging slaying capturing ravishing and looting and their hands were filled with such quantities of money Furnishings animals booty and captives as rejoiced their spirits and gladdened their hearts the chronicler Michael the Syrian describes the clergy gathering in the churches clutching to Sacred relics and saying Mass until they were cut down by the invading forces at last zengi ordered an end to the sack he issued a decree through the city commanding his men to cease their plundering all those who had survived the massacre were allowed to return to their homes two days later zengi promised The Defenders of the Citadel that their lives would be protected if they surrendered The Defenders agreed it was December 23rd 11 44. Odessa held by the Crusaders since 1098 was once more ruled by a Muslim Prince after the Carnage had come to an end zengi found an old man who'd been stripped beaten and dragged through the streets as it turned out this was basil bar sramana the Jacobite Bishop of the city zenge had the old man dressed and brought with honor into his tent there zengi gave the Jacobite Bishop some authority over the Christian population of the city zengi knew to prevent the Franks from retaking Odessa he needed to win the Goodwill of the Greek and Armenian Christians who made up the bulk of the population Michael the Syrian tells us that after the sack zengey's forces protected the Armenians and Greeks of Odessa however any Franks found within the city were immediately put to death news of the fall of Odessa soon reached Antioch and Jerusalem many blamed Prince Raymond for failing to carry Aid to the odessans the force sent by Queen melissan arrived at Antioch where they joined with Prince Raymond in an expedition against the Turks but zengi drove them back in February or March of 11 45. there would be no reversing zengy's conquest of Odessa [Music] the Atta beg quickly mopped up all of the frankish-held castles on the Eastern Bank of the Euphrates in little time the county of Odessa was cut in half zengey's capture of Odessa was a vital strategic importance now the Crusader States in Northern Syria were far more vulnerable with Antioch itself more exposed however zengi did not immediately press his advantage against the Crusaders instead he renewed his most cherished project the conquest of Damascus besieging the great Syrian City again in 1145 but sengi's Siege failed [Music] with Odessa lost the Latins of the Crusader States dispatched urgent requests for Aid to the Christian kingdoms of the West news of odessa's fall shocked the Latin World Messengers arriving in Germany France and other regions reported that Jerusalem itself was in peril what was needed was another Crusade and immediately not since the crusade of 1101 had a major Expedition been launched by the kingdoms of the west but now with Odessa Fallen Pope eugenius III prioritized the calling of a new Crusade on December 1st 1145 the pope issued the bull Quantum predecessoras the bull recalled the victories of the First Crusade and called on the Knights of Christendom to emulate the Deeds of their forefathers to take the cross and lead a relief Expedition for the reconquest of Odessa the Bishops and Priests of the church spread the Pope's message across Christendom the Second Crusade had begun [Music] Pope eugenius's bull of crusade recalled the First Crusade and the establishment of the Christian states in the Levant it described the fall of Odessa as a threat to the Church of God and all of Christianity the pope insisted that the defense of the holy places in the East was the responsibility of Europe's nightly Elite hailing from the austere order of the cistercians Pope eugenius urged Knights to shun finery fur-lined garments gilded armor and hunting dogs and Hawks however even for Pope eugenius political concerns at home slowed the mobilization of the Crusade the pope wanted the Crusade preached in France and Italy but he was reluctant to see the ruler of Germany Conrad III take the cross for the pope needed the Germans to support him in his disagreements with the Norman Kingdom of Sicily meanwhile in France the 25 year old King Louis VII expressed a desire to join the Crusade though his own nobles advised against it even the king's high counselor Abbott suger of Saint Denis advised Louis not to get involved in the risky overseas Expedition Jonathan Riley Smith calls Louis VII one of the most attractive of the medieval French monarchs and describes him as tender-hearted and courteous Pious and Sirius a loyal son of the church but not weak however his power was geographically limited and dependent both ideologically and politically on the church Louis is said to have been unconcerned by his poverty in comparison to other kings he once remarked here in France we have nothing but bread wine and joy before he committed to The Crusade Louis wanted the opinion of Bernard of clairvaux whom the King was said to have often consulted as though he were an oracle revered throughout Europe as a living Saint Bernard of clairvaux was the most influential Churchman of the age Pope eugenius himself had been one of Bernard's monks and pupils Bernard was instrumental in defining a new chivalry a Knighthood blended with spiritual vows in the form of military orders like the Knights Templar A Warrior's true calling according to Bernard was to renounce pride and wealth and commit himself to the defense of Christendom for Bernard of clairvaux the Crusade represented the manifestation of this ideal Saint Bernard and his cistercians fanned across France preaching the cross Bernard's surviving letters from the period contained some of the most powerful examples of crusade ideology Bernard's ideas would shape a Church's approach to the Crusades for centuries to come this age is like no other that has gone before a new abundance of Divine Mercy comes down from heaven blessed are those who are alive in this year pleasing to the Lord this year of remission this year of veritable Jubilee I tell you the Lord has not done this for any other generation before nor has he lavished on your father's gifts so copious [Music] Bernard cast The Crusade as a gift from God a showering of blessings upon the Warriors of the age he emphasized the idea that those participating were fortunate to be living in an era of unique blessings from God also Bernard frequently referred to the Holy Land as Christ's lands emphasizing the feudal obligation of a vassal to protect his Lord's domain if Christ's domain was in Peril How could a Christian Warrior neglect to defend it Louis VII took to heart Bernard's ideals and lived more like a monk than a king shunning finery and dressing in poor garments praying frequently and fasting at a vesale on March 31st 1147 in a field outside the town Saint Bernard preached The Crusade much as Pope Urban had preached at Claremont half a century earlier attending Were King Louis VII and his Leading Men in a dramatic ceremony Louis received the cross from Bernard most of the king's leading vassals took the cross as well soon Saint Bernard ran out of cloth crosses to affix to the cloaks of newly avowed Crusaders the charismatic Abbot tore his own habit into strips to make more crosses even Louie's Queen the beautiful Eleanor of Aquitaine took the Pilgrim's vow to travel east with her husband in terms of Personality King Louis and queen Eleanor seemed rather mismatched unlike Louis Eleanor was extravagant and worldly a lover of poetry and song Rich garments and the finer trappings of Court life however their marriage had been a political win for Eleanor was the heiress to the vast wealthy duchy of Aquitaine and her territories greatly enhanced the kingdom of France Louis seems to have been deeply devoted to its bright lovely Queen though the experience of the Crusade would strain their relationship to the breaking point by November Saint Bernard was preaching in Germany territory ruled by Conrad III Riley Smith describes Conrad as shrewd sincere intelligent Pious courageous and hard-working in the past Conrad had expressed interest in crusading although never formally crowned Emperor Conrad was nevertheless ruler of the Holy Roman Empire and styled himself King of the Romans at Christmas Mass at Spire Cathedral Saint Bernard preached directly to Conrad asking the ruler to imagine himself at the final judgment approaching the Throne of Christ the Savior would name all the gifts he'd granted to Conrad wealth power kingship wisdom courage strength then recalling that Conrad had refused the Crusader's vow Christ would ask son what more should I have done for you Conrad the tall brawny King of the Germans wept openly kneeling he proclaimed I am ready to serve him Bernard received the emperor's vow to Crusade along with many of the Great Men of the Holy Roman Empire now the king of France and the Holy Roman Emperor two of the most important rulers in Christendom had agreed to lead the Second Crusade [Music] earlier on March 13 1147 a large group of Saxon Nobles and knights approached the cistercian Abbott and asked him to extend the scope of the Crusade they wanted to fulfill their Crusader's vow by Waging War against the Pagan winds who dwelt east of the elbe river the Saxons explained to Bernard that these pagans were a threat to the local Christians raiding their territories and carrying God's people into bondage where Christian Knights not called to oppose God's enemies everywhere not just in Palestine Bernard needed little convincing he agreed and at once asked Pope eugenius to extend the Crusade to Christendom central European Frontier in the Northeast the pope who rarely refused one of Bernard's requests approved the idea formally the Second Crusade was extended to include a new Northeastern front where dwelt the Pagan wins the Saxons who battled the winds would gain the same spiritual merits as the knights who would travel to Syria as it happened the territory of the Winds was the most logical point of expansion for the Christian Saxons however Saint Bernard insisted that the object of the wendish Crusade must be spiritual he forbade the Saxon Crusaders from Making Peace unless the winds agreed to be baptized we utterly forbid that for any reason whatsoever a truth should be made with these people either for the sake of money or for the sake of tribute until such a time as by God's help they shall be either converted or wiped out this is a striking condition imposed by Saint Bernard in effect the Saxons were to offer their wendish enemies the choice to convert or die this was the first time crusading included such a ruthless Maxim Riley Smith points out that Bernard appears to be contradicting his own words here for in the past the Abbot had stated that conversion must never be forced traditionally Crusaders in both the holy land and Spain had not insisted on the conversion of their Muslim opponents and had frequently made treaties with them indeed the Crusader States would have been unable to function had they not dealt diplomatically with neighboring Muslim states this shows the Divide between an uncompromising vision and the realities of war and politics as managed by those who actually lived and governed on christendom's Frontiers the Templars themselves would be masters of diplomacy and would make many treaties with their Muslim Neighbors The wendish Crusade represented the start of yet another thread in Crusades history the northern Crusades and quickly the northern Crusaders would learn to deal diplomatically with their Pagan opponents as often as did other Crusaders but the Second Crusade would not be limited to two fronts King Alfonso VII of Leon Castile sent a request to Pope eugenius III asking that the Crusade boom be extended to include Spain Alfonso had his eye on almaria held by the alma Ravid Empire of North Africa and the king of Portugal Alfonso the first was interested in crusading to conquer Lisbon held by the Muslim taifa of bada holes for years now popes had been issuing Crusade bulls for the wars against the Moors in Spain in keeping with the tradition Pope eugenius extended the Second Crusade to include the Iberian front the pope went so far as to issue a separate Crusade bull for Spain and Portugal specifically many genoese sailors and men from Southern France opted to join the crusade of King Alfonso VII those taking the Cross in 1147 had their choice Spain Central Europe or the Holy Land the Second Crusade was in effect the first International project of the Crusades but would this stretch the forces of Latin Christendom too thin as the popes called to Crusade spread across Western Christendom events began to Trend more favorably for the Crusader states in the Eastern Levant thank you in September 1146 zengi while sleeping was stabbed to death by one of his own slaves news of zengi's death was welcome among the Franks of the Latin East inevitably a period of instability arose within zengy's domains as his two sons Mahmoud clashed over their father's Empire established a power base in mosul while Nur Adeen secured his hold over Aleppo hoping to take advantage of the situation count Jocelyn II assembled his troops and marched on Odessa briefly the count managed to reoccupy the city though the Citadel itself held out [Music] however when Nur Adeen arrived with a large Turkish Army prospects for the Christians securing Odessa evaporated Nur aden's forces overwhelmed count Jocelyn and his Franks who were treated suffering heavy losses Nur Aden then massacred odessa's population and raised the city to the ground leaving behind a useless husk of the once Splendid Town it was a tragic end to the city's life no doubt Nur Adeen wanted to eliminate the possibility of the Franks retaking Odessa while he dealt with the conflict with his brother this first and decisive Act of Nur Aden foreshadowed his profound significance in the history of the 12th century East Nur Aden would in time become the most important enemy of the Frankish Crusader States [Music] in the Iberian Peninsula The Crusade was underway by early 1147 led by local rulers long accustomed to crusading after the proclamation of Pope eugenius's Crusade bull King Alfonso the first of Portugal had sent his brother Pedro to meet with Bernard of clairvaux personally to discuss the recruitment of troops for the crusade in Portugal Alfonso of Portugal was one of medieval Europe's truly remarkable rulers it was Alfonso who established Portugal as an independent Kingdom indeed he was the first named king of Portugal [Music] early in his Reign Alfonso had Allied himself closely with the Knights Templar the king even described himself as a brother in the fraternity of the Templars indicating that he himself had become an associate of the order Alfonso granted the Templars important Frontier castles in his kingdom and from then on the Templars would be key participants in the ongoing Portuguese Crusade [Music] in March of 1147 King Alfonso assembled his troops at coimbra and made a rapid thrust South surprising and capturing the Muslim town of santarem with this rapid Victory Alfonso now controlled the passage of the tagus river the great city of Lisbon was now isolated Alfonso was poised to launch the greatest campaign of his reign meanwhile in April 1147 a fleet of Crusaders departed cologne as they passed through the North Sea and the English Channel they were joined by Crusader ships from Flanders and England this Coalition was no small Force but altogether contained around 164 ships and 13 000 men cruising past northern France and along the western coast of the Iberian Peninsula the Crusaders dropped anchor at Porto where they met the local Bishop Pedro the bishop had been expecting them indeed some men in this Fleet had already made arrangements to crusade in Portugal with Bernard of clairvaux when the Great Abbott had toured the low countries Bishop Pedro urged the Crusaders to join with his King Alfonso in the Crusade to conquer Lisbon the bishop emphasized the meritorious nature of the war act like good soldiers he told them for the sin is not in fighting but in fighting for the sake of booty [Music] though the fleet set out for Lisbon on June 28 there was still much debate among their ranks about whether or not to join in Alfonso's Crusade some Crusaders opposed halting for the Portuguese campaign for their ultimate destination was the Holy Land but many were attracted by Alfonso's offer a treaty guaranteeing them a share in the city's plunder and trading privileges throughout Portugal these privileges would be generational and their sons would inherit them as well arriving at The Siege Camp before Lisbon the Crusaders met with King Alfonso personally the leaders of the Crusader Fleet were Harvey of Glenville Christian of Giselle and count Arnold of Airship the king appealed personally for their help repeating his offer and insisting on the sanctity of his cause Alfonso even promised to Grant lands to any Crusaders wishing to settle in his kingdom among the Crusaders Alfonso's greatest advocate was Harvey of Glanville who appealed to his comrade sense of Honor Harvey voiced his agreement that the king's cause was a holy one and reminded his peers of the wealth waiting within Lisbon for the taking Harvey's advocacy won out the Crusader Coalition agreed to join with Alfonso's Army in the campaign to capture Lisbon the king sent the bishop of Braga to formally request the surrender of Lisbon's Muslim rulers you have held our cities and lands already for 358 years said the bishop returned to the homeland of the Moors once you came leaving to us what is ours not surprisingly Lisbon's Muslim Governors saw things differently they accused the Christians of acting out of greed and declare their intention to resist with all their powers until Allah should determine otherwise [Music] the Portuguese Crusader Coalition formally laid Siege to Lisbon on July 1st 1147 Alfonso and his army blockaded the city from the land approaches while the Crusader Fleet blockaded from the sea Alfonso's men assembled their Siege equipment and began to batter the walls with catapults and trebuchets six weeks passed the Muslims proved courageous in their defense of the city the Crusaders began to grow frustrated but then the Christians intercepted letters from Lisbon's rulers the letters were desperate requests for help to Abu Muhammad the Emir of evira and other Moorish rulers and describe the desperate conditions of hunger and disease that prevailed within Lisbon encouraged the Christians pressed on with the siege the German and Flemish Crusaders continued digging mines beneath the walls while the Normans and the English constructed an enormous movable Tower with which to assault the city walls Lisbon's Defenders became so desperate with Hunger that they began collecting refuse thrown from the Christian ships as it was carried in by the waves below the city's walls seeing this the Crusaders began laying traps for their opponents setting food out in front of the city and then capturing enemy troops when they came out to collect it finally the Christian Siege engines and sappers caused the collapse of a very large section of the wall one Christian chronicler described hearing the Defenders cry out in anguish after the wall fell at last in October when The anglo-norman Siege Tower reached the city's walls the Muslim Defenders sent a messenger to King Alfonso to ask for terms Lisbon surrendered the Christian Army made its triumphal entry into the city on October 24 1147 although the king allowed the Muslim Defenders to leave with their lives the city was sacked and many lives were lost in this violence the Crusaders also captured the nearby Fortress of sintra to the west and the castle pomela south of the tagus river many of the Crusaders decided to settle in Lisbon and one of them an Englishman named Gilbert of Hastings was elected Bishop of the city however most of the German Flemish and English Crusaders would sail onto the Holy Land in February 1148 Alfonso next launched a campaign to capture many of the nearby castles soon all of Portugal north of the tagus river and south of coimbra was under the king's control as a result of a Lisbon Crusade Portugal's Frontier was dramatically expanded the episode represents a major development in the ongoing Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula [Music] the conquest of Lisbon was King Alfonso's crowning Victory the 1140s were a time when all of Christian Iberia expanded Southward but Portugal's achievements were the most important for this period of the ray conquista the most Landmark development since the fall of Zaragoza in 1118 or the fall of Toledo in 1085. the fall of Lisbon would be one of the second crusade's most enduring legacies surely such a victory is exactly what saint bernard envisioned for the whole of the international multi-front campaign [Music] while Alfonso of Portugal was engaged in the conquest of Lisbon Alfonso VII the king of Leon Castile was waging his own crusade to capture the great Port City of al-maria Alfonso VII is an important and intriguing figure and his participation in the Second Crusade merits some examination of his rise to prominence he was the son of queen uraka of Leon and the grandson of King Alfonso VI of Leon Castile the famed patron of el Sid Alfonso the seventh's father Raymond of burgundy was a Frenchman if that term could be used for this period Raymond was one of those many knights from the land of the Franks who traveled to Spain during the late 11th and early 12th centuries such men found willing sponsors in the Iberian Kings who employed them in campaigns of Conquest in the Muslim south or in the desperate Wars against the almaravids thus Alfonso raimundes as he was known sprang literally from that mingling of the Frankish and Iberian legacies in part generated by crusading and by the increasing religious unity Western Christendom under the latin Church Alfonso was born in a troubled period for his mother's Kingdom when the Rival kingdoms of Portugal and Aragon were on the rise and the alma ravids of North Africa where the peak of their power however under Alfonso VII the great territory of Leon Castile would once more be the dominant power on the Iberian Peninsula and the ancient Imperial dreams of Alfonso's forefathers seemed plausible yet again the king played a key role in reducing the power of the almaravids on the peninsula as he invested their castles throughout the tagus valley steadily defeating and replacing their garrisons indeed Alfonso styled himself emperor of all Spain an ambitious title never fully realized nevertheless we can see in Alfonso VII the clear blending of crusading ideals with the dreams of Spanish reconquest Alfonso VII quite deliberately asked the pope to extend the Second Crusade to Leon Castile he also invited his vassals Ramon Behringer IV of arrogant Barcelona and William of Montpellier to join in the Crusade quote for the Redemption of their souls Alfonso is both a crusader and a reconqueror a self-conscious member of the greater project of Latin Christendom spearheaded by the Pope in Rome as well as an heir to the ancient dream of Alfonso the Great and the other early monarchs of medieval Spain the house of Leon Castile considered itself the authentic continuation of the Throne of the visigothic king Roderick Alfonso VII may have been one of Latin christendom's first rulers to become aware of Pope eugenius III's plans to launch the Second Crusade in 1145 one of Alfonso's most important counselors and magnates Archbishop Raymond of Toledo was in Rome when news arrived of the fall of Odessa it wasn't Spanish rulers alone who were interested in extending the Second Crusade to Spain the genoese asked the pope to allow them to fulfill their crusading vows in the conquest of al-maria the genuese viewed Almeria as a nest of pirates and saw an opportunity to both destroy an enemy and gain from one of the mediterranean's wealthiest ports Alfonso would need a naval Ally in the Enterprise and so he welcomed cooperation with Genoa [Music] Alfonso VII's active participation in the Second Crusade began in 1146 that April he assembled his army intoledo in may he attacked portoba captured a portion of the city and obliged the Almar Avid Governor IBN gania to acknowledge Him as Overlord in August the king returned to Toledo where he met with his genoese allies by September Alfonso and the genoese had hammered out a formal pact Alfonso would Supply land forces and contribute 30 000 maravares Genoa would provide a fleet troops and Siege equipment for the siege of Almeria the genoese would receive a third of all conquests and would have the right to establish factories and markets in Almeria they would also be exempt from all tolls in Alfonso's dominions Ramon Behringer IV ruler of the kingdom of Aragon and the county of Barcelona agreed to participate in the Crusade as well the plan was to take Al Maria in 1147 and then when tortosa for Ramon Barringer in 1148 the genoese would Supply the naval power for both campaigns in November of 1146 Alfonso VII met with count Ramon Barringer and King Garcia Ramirez of Navarre at San estebend de gormas to coordinate plans for the campaign foreign as in the Holy Land the Iberian Crusade would be a multinational affair [Music] but Alfonso did not rest that winter he launched an expedition from his Southern frontier to capture the alma rabbit-held Fortress of calatrava in January of 1147 the king had full control of that castle which was crucial for his upcoming campaign he then returned to Toledo to take up the Kingdom's normal business meanwhile the pope eugenius III reissued his Crusade bull this time specifically mentioning Spain as a front in the Second Crusade the king of the Spains wrote the pope is strongly arming against the saracens here the pope affirmed Alfonso's preferred title of Overlord of the entire Iberian Peninsula in the summer of 1147 King Alfonso VII joined with his ally King Garcia Ramirez of Navarre for an attack on baiza an import important Morris stronghold now andalus on the guadal kavir the two kings capture The Fortress in mid-august having secured baiza as a critical Supply base Alfonso and Garcia then LED their troops in the grueling dangerous March over mountains and desert to reach the Mediterranean Coast arriving at the Port City of Almeria the two kings rendezvous with the genoese fleet and the forces of count Ramone Behringer [Music] the genoese fleet had already arrived back in July their Fleet contained 63 galleys and 163 other ships an impressive Force Alfonso had with him a modest but effective Army of 400 Knights and around 1 000 foot soldiers Ramon behringer's Force included a single ship and 53 Knights we must remember that armies weren't particularly large in the mid-12th century Bishop Arnaldo of astorga preached before the Crusaders proclaiming now it is necessary that each one confess himself well and fully and know that the gates of paradise are open in effect he was saying that those who would fall in this battle would be martyrs at the time Al Maria was a rich thriving Port the City's population numbered around 28 000 with walls that contained some 79 hectares of land the almarian fleet was considerable but faced with this imposing Crusader Coalition withdrew before the city was fully invested it looked as though no relief was coming from other Muslim lands the governors of Almeria offered Alfonso 100 000 maravadis if he would withdraw he refused on October 17 11 47 a week before the fall of Lisbon Al Maria surrendered [Music] Alfonso's Crusade had triumphed it was the crowning achievement of an already impressive career and not surprisingly the king would tout this Victory widely the genoese two were proud of their accomplishment which they considered both economically and spiritually profitable in 1148 the momentum of the crusade did not slow down that July the genoese rejoined count Ramon Beringer along with the Knights Templar and the Knights hospitaler foreign assault on the port city of tortoso at the head of the Delta of the Ebro River to show the broad recruitment for these Iberian campaigns William of Montpellier and Bertrand of Toulouse both brought forces to this Siege and some veterans from the Lisbon Crusade joined as well tortosis surrendered in December and so the count of arrogant Barcelona had his victory from the Second Crusade as did the Kings of Leon Castile in Portugal [Laughter] Ramon Behringer continued his crusading into 1149 that year he captured the important cities of Fraga larida and mechinenza thus reversing the gains of the almaravids after the battle of Fraga in 1134 the whole of the old lands of the once magnificent taifa of Zaragoza where el-sid had once served as a mercenary to the Emir had now fallen to the Christians [Music] the Second Crusade had been a resounding success throughout the Iberian Peninsula it had expanded Christian territory from tortoza in the East to Lisbon in the west these were significant gains which placed important cities in the hands of the Christians although the almaravids had been in Decline throughout the previous decades the Second Crusade put a stamp on the collapse at the alma Ravid Empire throughout the Crusade the alma rabbits had failed to bring Aid to Iberian castles technically under their Rule and the remaining great cities of the Muslim South began to operate once more as independent taifa kingdoms [Music] by 1149 the Second Crusade was over in Spain and Portugal the successes were unquestionably dramatic Bernard Riley summarizes the territory gained the Portuguese border had been carried permanently south from coimbra on the mondego to santarem and Lisbon on the tagus the entire Basin of the Ebro had fallen to arrogant Barcelona in the East Leon Castile had cleared the hole of the plain of Castile La Nueva of the alma ravids and had established a strong position in the upper Basin of the guadalupeer and Almeria [Music] all three of the major Iberian campaigns received assistance from the Crusaders from outside of the Iberian Peninsula Germany Italy France England and other regions and kingdoms all sent assistance to the Iberian Crusade but how would the Second Crusade fair in other theaters the Northeast and in the Holy Land will continue with our look at the Second Crusade by examining the Saxon campaign in Central Europe the Windish Crusade [Music] as part of the Second Crusade Bernard of clairvo secured papal's sanction and Crusade indulgences for the summer campaign of 1147 against the Pagan Slavs or wens who dwelt between the rivers elb and Odair historian Christopher Tireman says that this decision set the tone for perhaps the most radical and effective Association of crusading and territorial expansion this was the start of the northern Crusades which would last for at least two centuries and impact every region east of the elbe along the coast eastwards and northwards to Livonia Estonia Finland and the Gulfs of Finland and Bosnia these expansionist wars coincided with the territorial interests of Christian Danish German and polish princes looking to press East or north spiritual gains went hand in hand with gains in land wealth and power ultimately the northern Crusades would bring the Pagan communities of the eastern and Northern Baltic literal into the realm of Latin Christendom however in 1147 all this lay in the future at the time it was a matter of Saxon Christian nights seeking to sanctify their war against the Eastern Slavs by the big event of the year the Second Crusade the idea of crusading in this region wasn't new though it hadn't yet taken off back in 1108 the Archbishop of magdeborg sought military assistance for the vulnerable Christian lands along the elm Frontier urging Knights to come and help in the liberation of quote our Jerusalem [Music] including this region under the larger Crusades umbrella was a natural development if Christians battling saracens in Spain and the Holy Land received the Pope's endorsement then why not the Saxons who fought Pagan tribes for the Saxons the prize wasn't spiritual alone but the wealth of new conquests the magdeborg appeal demonstrates this quite plainly their land is the best rich in meat honey corn and birds and if it were well cultivated none could be compared to it for the wealth of its produce and so most renowned Saxons French lorainers and Flemings and conquerors of the world this is an occasion for you to save your souls and if you wish it acquire the best land in which to live may He Who with the strength of his arm led the men of Gaul on their March from the Far West in Triumph against enemies in the farthest east give you the will and power to conquer those enemies who are nearby and to prosper well in all things note the direct reference to the First Crusade no wonder that the northern Crusades quickly evolved into one of the most active theaters of crusading nevertheless historian Eric Christensen writes when the Saxons demanded to be let loose in the Slavs they did so for good old-fashioned reasons either to get submission and tribute or to seize more land for the Danes it was an opportunity for revenge and retaliation against the Pirates and slavers and for the polls a chance of intimidating the prussians but who were these tribes that were to be battled across the Eastern Frontiers and the Pagan lands that stretched along the Baltic Shore to the Gulf of Finland the peoples were divided into numerous principalities tribes or extended family groups the most prominent division was linguistic between the Keel and vestula dwelt the Western Slavs or winds among the winds tribal and political groups were sustained by a lively polytheistic religion directed by a powerful Priestly class [Applause] region had its particular cult with its own temples stocked with sacred images the rural areas were dominated by territorial princes but markets and trade existed in towns on the coast farther East political life was less recognizable to the Latin Christians more tribal and primordial among the winds one Prince stood out as most capable of resisting the coming Crusade niklot Prince of the wendish abbatrites niklot presided over the substantial abbatrite Confederation which included various other tribes and amounted to a considerable military power [Music] niklot was aware of the preparations of the Crusaders [Music] in April 1147 the pope appointed Bishop Anselm of haverberg as his legate for the wendish campaign June 29 the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul was designated for the muster the Crusaders were to gather on that date at Magda board [Music] however that June niklot launched a preemptive campaign his wendish army struck at the newly established German settlement of lubic the Winds brutally devastated the Flemish and Friesian villages in fact niklot's initial attack only further bolstered the cause of the Crusade but better proof that the winds were an immediate threat to Christendom Eric Christensen notes that niklot's attack stiffened the sinews of the assembling armies for it made it plain that he meant to have his own again [Music] the Coalition of the wendish Crusade was composed of a Danish Force Under The King's canoot V and Sven III troops under Archbishop Albert of Bremen and Duke Henry the lion Saxons Warrior Bishops would be a common feature over the history of the northern Crusades in mid-july the Archbishop and Duke Henry LED their armies into abatrite territory tubes Siege niklot's newly built Fortress of Dobbin meanwhile from the north a Danish Army and Fleet descended on the stronghold niklot and his Slavic forces resisted fiercely surrounded by Marsh and Lake Dobbin was well defended the Crusader armies were stretched thin a crusader Force had to guard the Danish Fleet at Wismer Bay early on nikolotes set his allies the rubians to attack the Danish Fleet by sea while necloth's troops launched a Sally against the Danish forces outside of daben the Danish troops were isolated by the lake Outside The Fortress and so the winds managed to devastate the Danes before the Saxons could bring help this early malling of the Danish contingent caused the two kings Knute the fifth and Sven the third to quickly cut their losses and withdraw from The Crusade thus the Christian Coalition was greatly reduced undeterred Archbishop adelbert and Henry the lion maintain their Siege of the Windish Fort as the Saxon troops ravaged the countryside some of the Nobles objected one chronicler recorded their dismay is not the land we are devastating our land and the people we are fighting our people why are we destroying our own incomes if they couldn't conquer this region for the time being the Saxons generally preferred to extract tribute from it rather than destroy it but didn't this go against Bernard of clairvo's Maxim ultimately The Siege devolved into a costly stalemate soon the Saxons came to terms with Prince Nick Lowe The Garrison of daben accepted baptism and freed their Danish prisoners niklot restored his alliance with a count of Holstein and agreed to pay tribute historian Christopher Tireman describes this treaty as quote escanti fig leave to allow the Danes and Saxons to withdraw the Saxon chronicler helmet of bosau mocked the Windish conversions as false niklot's rule remains strong as well as his people's Pagan religious system with its temples and priesthood and the wendish slave markets continue to circulate Danish prisoners but the wendish Crusade wasn't over at magdeborg in early August the main Army assembled under the papal legate and selm of hoverboard as well as six other German Bishops Albert the bear led the sacks and marcher Lords and an imperial contingent under the Abbott of ebald of corvi was also present campaigning far from Dobbin this essentially papal-led Army fought its way some 100 miles deep into wendish territory possibly preparing to assault the strategically significant island of rugen the Crusaders attacked demin on the river pinem the Crusaders managed to overrun myshoft to the South where they destroyed the Pagan Temple however at demin wendish resistance was fierce once more a stalemate developed once more the Crusaders ultimately withdrew persuaded by some of the frontier margraves the bulk of the German Army now moved on steten in Pomerania however it soon became apparent that this town had already accepted the Christian religion for the inhabitants hung crosses from the walls the town's Bishop came out to talk with the leaders of the German Army chastened the Crusader Coalition Dooley withdrew [Music] in his famous history God's War Christopher Tireman notes that the wendish Crusade begun with such Acclaim at Frankfurt and attracting recruits from as far afield as Moravia Denmark and the southern Rhineland petered out in a failed Saxon land grab [Music] while the wendish crusade of 1147 produced minimal results in the immediate it set a precedent that would shape the history of the region it was only the beginning the northern Crusades would continue the lands of the Winds would be the first to fall ultimately German polish and Scandinavian Crusaders would press farther east and north deep into the Baltic absorbing tribe after tribe into the fold of Christendom niklot had had his victory but his descendants would one day be Christians for the time being the wendish Crusade was widely regarded as a disappointment especially when compared to the sweeping victories of the Second Crusade in Iberia we did what we were told but it didn't work the Abbott vibald of corvi famously historian Eric Christensen notes on the other hand if this campaign had not been undertaken as a crusade it would have seemed fairly successful it rounded off the Saxon occupation of wagria and palabia and made Prince niklot a tributary and Ally of the Saxons It produced a certain amount of loot freed a certain number of slaves and suffered only one serious defeat when the Danes were driven back at Dobbin it was only from the point of view of Saint Bernard and the clergy of the slav missions that the campaign appeared a failure it was they who had decided to make the permanent conversion of the Slavs the main aim of the undertaking and it's worth asking why they imagined that this could be achieved through a military campaign interesting comments from Eric Christensen which opened the door to further discussion and contemplation [Music] this leaves us with a final theater of the Second Crusade the Holy Land itself what would happen when the king of France and the Emperor of Germany LED their armies against the seljuk and zenged forces of the Eastern Levant stay with us for the full story [Music] Norman Italian adversary King Roger II of Sicily wanted to capitalize on the energy of the Second Crusade Roger already maintained a close alliance with King Louis VII of France and so he offered his own Fleet to transport the French army to the Holy Land Roger proposed that along the way the Crusaders could further the cause of Christendom by subduing once and for all the Byzantine Empire which Roger described as treacherous and unreliable since the days of Robert gisgard the Normans of southern Italy had long cherished hopes of one day conquering Byzantium over the course of the history of the Crusades many Latin Christians had developed a mistrust of the Eastern Empire which seemed to them a nest of double dealing snakes at best and unreliable and cowardly Ally in the fight against the saracens a robust anti-byzentine party existed at the Royal Court of France and many of King Louie's advisors urged the Monarch to accept Roger's offer Louis however felt that he would need Byzantine support to prosecute his Crusade he also preferred to travel over land like the heroes of the First Crusade politely Louis declined King Rogers proposal [Music] meanwhile in Constantinople Emperor Manuel kamninis was not at all happy about the prospect of a new Crusade he'd spent a great deal of energy cultivating an anti-saicilian Coalition composed of Venice the pope and the Holy Roman Empire he was also loathed to see his peace with the seljuk Turkish Sultan of room disrupted like all Byzantine emperors Manuel is concerned that the Crusade would ultimately be turned against his own lands to secure his Eastern flank Manuel reaffirmed his peace with the seljuk Turks and prepared himself to deal with the Western armies that would soon descend upon his Empire foreign the German Army under Conrad III departed Regensburg in May 1147 and headed east accompanying the knights and soldiers were a great many civilian pilgrims hoping to visit the holy places one veteran lamented this fact and stated that Pope eugenius should have required civilians to stay home quote for the weak and helpless are always a burden to their comrades and a source of prey to their enemies thank you the Germans marched along the Danube to Vienna Hungary and finally reached the Byzantine Frontier at brunitz around July 20. the size of the German Army is unknown but it must have been substantial for it moved quite slowly a reasonable estimate would be between seven thousand and thirteen thousand on the lower end and between ten thousand and twenty thousand on the higher end small by modern standards but substantial for the mid-12th century hearing of the approaching Germans Emperor Emmanuel negotiated an agreement with Conrad the Germans would refrain from causing trouble in Imperial lands while Manuel would provide supplies and markets for the Crusaders foreign from the Danube to Thrace the German Army kept good order but once they reached Thrace German discipline became lacks and there were violent clashes between locals and Crusaders at philippopolis there was another violent incident in Adrian opal but at last Conrad's Army reached Constantinople on September 10. here the Germans found the Byzantine capital on full military alert despite the unruly March of the German Army Manuel was eager to maintain good relations with Conrad the Byzantine emperor was worried that the German ruler intended to attack his capital torturous negotiations followed however Manuel's wife Bertha of soulsbach was a relative of Conrad's and the two rulers managed to maintain friendly terms on both sides there was mistrust many in the Byzantine Camp believed the Germans harbored hostile intentions while many of the Crusaders were suspicious of the byzantines nevertheless after a month camped outside the walls of Constantinople the German Army traveled on ships provided by Manuel across the Bosphorus foreign provided guides and food to the Crusaders although some of the Army's commanders wanted to remain encamped to await the arrival of the French under Louis VII Conrad was eager to press on to Syria as hindsight would prove Conrad should have waited the German Army divided one contingent led by Conrad the other led by Conrad's half-brother Otto of friesing Otto's contingent took the coastal roads southwards through Byzantine territory while Conrad's contingent proceeded Southeast toward Dory lamb and Iconium for 10 days Conrad's contingent made the grueling Trek across the treacherous interior of Asia Minor food ran short and discipline began to break down from the hills fans of Turkish horse archers stalked the exhausted Germans picking off the weak or the stragglers unlike the army of the First Crusade Conrad's troops lacked cohesion and proved ideal prey to the harassment tactics of the seljuk Turks the Crusaders failed to adapt to Turkish tactics despite the presence of Byzantine guides the famed historian of the Latin East William of Tire would later accuse these Guides of deliberately leading the Christian forces into Danger it was common talk and probably quite true wrote William that these perilous wanderings were devised with the knowledge of the Greek Emperor who has always envied the successful advance of the Christians it's true that Manuel wasn't happy about the Crusade taking place at all but would he have gone so far as to have deliberately sabotaged its progress on October 25 near Dory lamb the site of a dramatic Crusader victory in 1097. Conrad's Army was ambushed by a substantial seljuk Turkish host led by the Sultan of room himself mesood the first the Turks executed their trap brilliantly an advanced force of Turks appeared and Drew the German heavy Cavalry into an early charge pursuing the retreating Turks the German Cavalry left their infantry and ran right into an attack by a much larger Turkish Force the German Cavalry was devastated and the Infantry was subsequently mauled by the triumphant Turks German casualties were atrocious desperate Conrad Otto and the other commanders ordered a retreat back to Byzantine territory as the Germans struggled to withdraw they were continuously harassed by Turkish skirmishers The Retreat turned into a total route the German rear guard was utterly wiped out William of Tire records the devastation our army hemmed in on all sides was in Mortal Danger from the constant Showers of darts and arrows they had no chance to retaliate or to engage the foe At Close Quarters nor could they lay hold of the enemy as often as they tried to make a counter-attack the Turks broke ranks eluded all their attempts and galloped off in different directions [Music] the Second Battle of Dory lamb was in marked contrast to the first battle of Dory lamb in 1097 when Bowman and the other leaders of the First Crusade had held their forces together with tight discipline and dealt effectively with the cell junk Turks leadership seems to have been a major factor in the German failure Conrad proved unable to maintain discipline or to demonstrate the imagination necessary to achieve victory in the most trying of circumstances Conrad himself was wounded in the head by an arrow during the desperate retreat a starving shattered Remnant the German Army limped back into nicaea in early November many survivors immediately abandoned the Expedition taking the first ships Bound for the West the German contingent of the Second Crusade even before it had reached the Holy Land had effectively ceased to exist the bankrupt hungry and wounded rump of the German Army could do nothing but accept the hospitality of the byzantines and the French who were now encamped around nicaea [Music] for Louis VII and the French army the appearance of the defeated badly depleted German host was an ominous event some of the French blamed the Byzantine guides for misleading their German allies Conrad however placed the blame on himself feeling that his own leadership had failed at the most critical hour historian Christopher Tireman writes in truth the German Crusade foundered on poor intelligence fallible Logistics inappropriate tactics and over-optimistic strategy as much as by lack of Greek support or the skill of the Turkish archers from the rebellious despised foot slogers and pilgrims to the mounted Elite for all their numbers and weaponry the Germans proved in all respects except courage singularly ill-equipped for Anatolian Warfare or the needs of a contested March [Music] at nicaea Louis and Conrad discussed their next move after the Turkish victory at Dory lamb Conrad commanded only a tiny Force Louis was now the main commander of the Crusade for if it were to succeed it would be up to the French both Conrad and Louis agreed not to attempt another Crossing of central Anatolia instead they prepared to March along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts of Asia Minor thus keeping within Byzantine territory as long as possible departing nicaea the Crusaders marched to Smyrna and then Ephesus where Conrad became dangerously ill at Manuel's suggestion the German Emperor sailed to Constantinople where he was personally cared for by the Byzantine emperor and empress A Renewed Alliance was established between Manuel and Conrad when he was healthy enough Conrad sailed directly from the Byzantine Capital to the Crusader kingdom of Jerusalem thus the German effort in the Second Crusade concluded in a dismal and costly failure [Laughter] [Music] Christopher Tireman points out that the Second Crusade was the first occasion for a Frankish King to lead a foreign Conquest since Charlemagne The Crusade emphasized Louis VII sovereignty by associating the great magnates of France in a specifically Royal policy the Frankish contingent was the royal Army Louis VII's Army The Crusade was one of the most important projects of the King's career Louis established relationships with Leading Men that in later years solidified the Royal Court as once again Central to French politics his chaplain recalls how at Verdun and Mets where the king gathered his army in June of 1147 although the king found nothing there which belonged to him by right of lordship he nevertheless found all subject to him voluntarily enthusiasm for the Crusade was strong throughout France especially after the preaching tours of Bernard of clairvaux considered a living Saint Bernard was a striking figure years of hard pennants had made his body lean and almost frail but there was a severe strength about him his vigorous powerful intellect was matched by a profound Charisma and eloquence he was both the most influential Royal adviser of the time and the most effective public orator the cistercian Otto of rising described Bernard as endowed with wisdom and a knowledge of letters renowned for signs and wonders and as being like a Divine Oracle the great assembly at vesely on Easter Day in 1146 where Louis presided as king and Bernard spoke as advocate of the Crusade provides an obvious parallel to Pope Urban II's preaching of the First Crusade at Claremont in 1095. like Urban Bernard delivered a powerful speech but more important was the symbolism of the moment the king made his public pledge to the Crusade and appeared as its leader with Bernard representing the church's full endorsement of the Expedition here Latin Christian Society stood United for centuries commentators have criticized Louis VII for electing to lead his army via the land root across Asia Minor and into the Holy Land however at the time this was a reasonable option the First Crusade had taken this route and quite successfully the power offering to transport Louie's Army by sea was the Norman Kingdom of Sicily a bitter enemy of the byzantines king Roger of Sicily had already asked Louis to join him in a campaign to conquer the Byzantine Empire Louis had declined but he may have been concerned that ultimately Roger wouldn't take no for an answer if Louis placed the whole of his army in Rogers care Roger may have used that leverage to compel the king of France to attack Constantinople in addition Louie's Army of Frankish knights was more suited to an Overland Journey unlike modern commentators Louis VII didn't know the future his decision to travel by land made sense at the time [Music] in another dramatic ceremony King Louis VII and his court gathered at the great Cathedral of Saint Denis on June 11 1146 here surrounded by stained glass windows depicting the great Heroes of the first crusade king Louis prostrated himself before the altar kissed a relic of the church's patron saint and received the oriflam the Crimson Banner mounted on a gold Lance from abbots sugar and finally the Pilgrim's script from the pope all three symbolize the initiation of the Crusade Louie's Army included many of France's great Lords and magnates Flanders Sway song bar Point 2 Neville toenail the Alvernia champagne and Southern burgundy all sent contingents among the greatest contingents was the force led by tiri count of Flanders as well as Southern French vassals to the king's wife Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine including Joffrey Ronson the king's brother count Robert of Drew head of the king's core party Eleanor herself was attended by a considerable party of ladies and later poets would imagine them fantastically dressed as Amazon Warrior maidens the king's personal chaplain the monk Otto of doya accompanied his master and his Chronicle is today one of the most important sources for the Second Crusade in the Holy Land one notable feature of the Second Crusade is the virtual Universal approval it elicited from the powerful institutions of Latin Christendom only Roger II of Sicily the Pope's enemy refused to participate this is in contrast to the first crusade in which Pope Urban had to rely primarily on his own allies the northern French the provencals and the Normans the First Crusade had been called amid a bitter feud between Pope and Holy Roman Emperor now half a century later the Crusades had become an institution firmly accepted as the business of God the Pope's Prestige and Authority had been greatly bolstered by the success of the First Crusade and helped the papacy win the investiture contest with the German emperors Bernard of clairvaux emphasized that God would secure victory in the Second Crusade the first Crusades Triumph had been a miracle said the saint and the second would be another miracle of God however Bernard also emphasized practical aspects of the campaign in his letters he recalled the disasters of the people's Crusade led by Peter The Hermit in 1096. Bernard wanted his crusade to be led by competent military men to ensure a success similar to the First Crusade the cost involved in mobilizing Louis VII's Army is difficult to overstate many Nobles bankrupted themselves financing their participation wealthy Church institutions especially Abbeys made considerable contributions meanwhile in the Holy Land the Knights Templar prepared for the arrival of the Crusaders and sent representatives to meet the French at Constantinople after mustering at Mets in June 11 47 Louis VII and the French army numbering tens of thousands crossed the Rhineland reached the Danube in early July and Then followed the root of the Germans through Hungary historian Jonathan Riley Smith writes that Louie's Army was amply supplied by the hungarians with whose King Louis was on good terms thus far we were engaged in play recalled Odo because we neither suffered injuries from Men's ill will nor feared dangers arising from the cunning of crafty men however from the time when we entered Bulgaria a land belonging to the Greeks our Valor was put to the test and our emotions were aroused Odo notes that an agreement had been formalized between King Louis and Emperor Emanuel of the Byzantine Empire ahead of time but he insists that as soon as the Franks entered Byzantine territory the Greeks quote stained themselves with perjury Odo writes Here For the First Time wrongs began to arise and to be noticed for the other countries which sold us supplies properly found us entirely peaceful the Greeks however closed their cities and fortresses and offered their Wares by letting them down from the walls on ropes but food furnished in such measure did not suffice our throng therefore the pilgrims unwilling to endure want in the midst of Plenty procured supplies for themselves by plunder and pillage however Odo doesn't entirely blame the Greeks called the byzantines today for this situation he writes some thought that the State of Affairs was the fault of the Germans who preceded us since they had been plundering everything and that the Greeks therefore fled our peaceful King unlike Richard the lionheart and Frederick Barbarossa during the Third Crusade both of whom would impose universal codes of conduct on their armies and meticulously keep all their men supplied Louis proved unable to assert Universal discipline over all of his contingents Greek ambassadors kept Louis and the Royal party well supplied throughout this portion of the March but many divisions of the army were left to forage on their own resulting in clashes with locals after this ominous start the French Crusaders finally reached Constantinople between September and October of 1147 Manuel had shown suspicion toward Conrad but now he showered King Louis with favors the emperor held a lavish banquet in the French King's honor and personally accompanied King Louis and queen Eleanor on a tour of constantinople's churches and holy sites Manuel provided abundant markets and Provisions for the French forces but Louie's ability to enforce Universal discipline remained lacking and some elements of the Crusader host continued their unruly conduct the emperor even arranged a joint Mass celebrated by both Frankish and Greek clergy to honor Louie's Patron Saint Saint Denis on October 9. clearly Manuel wanted to maintain positive relations with the French and went out of his way to avoid any rupture with the Franks Louis for his part was entirely in agreement with Manuel's policy foreign however within the Frankish encampment outside of Constantinople not all of the French Nobles and Bishops agreed with their King by now it was common knowledge that Manuel had forged a peace with the seljuk Sultan of room and this appeared as treachery to many of the Crusaders many of the French felt certain that Manuel intended to betray them and tried to persuade King Louis VII to launch an attack on Constantinople itself arguing that the capture of the Byzantine Empire would position the Crusaders to better Aid the Holy Land however historian Thomas Madden notes that Louis absolutely refused to entertain the idea of turning his Army against a Christian Empire Manuel's spies kept him informed of the debate among the French and so the emperor exerted pressure on the Crusaders to cross the Bosphorus squeezing the flow of supplies spreading false rumors that the Germans were scoring great victories in Asia Minor and quickly assembling a fleet to provide transport Louis agreed with the emperor and between October 16 and 17 the French army was ferried over to Asia safely away from the Byzantine Capital now Manuel sent Messengers to Louis about an agreement of homage which further agitated the French Nobles ultimately a pact was signed Jonathan Riley Smith summarizes the agreement the Crusaders made homage and promised not to take any place under Imperial jurisdiction in return they were promised guides and supplies and the Greeks recognized that they would have to plunder where Provisions were not made available however Manuel refused to provide a Byzantine contingent to join in the Crusade on October 26 the French reached nicaea where they met Conrad III and German survivors fleeing from the disastrous Battle of Dory lamb this was a sobering moment for Louie's troops who had been led to believe by manual that Conrad had scored a major victory over the Turks from that moment on according to Christopher Tireman the French campaign never lost a sense of crisis joining with the depleted rump of the German Army the French pressed on the road South Thomas Madden writes for obvious reasons the rulers decided not to venture into Central Anatolia again instead they made preparations to March along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts of Asia Minor thus remaining in Byzantine territory as long as possible as they pressed on to Smyrna the Crusaders found the local Greeks unwilling or unable to provide markets and so the Army was forced to forage for food this provoked more clashes with locals and indeed the exhausted battle scarred German survivors still trickling in to join Louie's Army experienced attacks by some local forces Thomas Madden notes rumors spread quickly that Manuel was attempting to weaken the Crusade so that it could be crushed by his friends the Turks lack of supplies was a major concern especially with winter approaching the cracks in Louie's discipline only widened as many contingents looked to their Regional Lords primarily for guidance unlike the commanders of the First Crusade Louis was unable to maintain consistent cohesion during the march different units became widely separated from one another desertions became increasingly common as soldiers abandoned the march to seek out ships Bound for the West at Ephesus the Crusaders met Greek ambassadors warning of a large Turkish Army preparing to attack the French if they continued their March the emperor himself said the ambassadors advised Louis and his troops to hunker down for the winter within Byzantine castles this was useful advice but as Christopher Tireman notes such intelligence hardly compensated for what later struck some Crusade Veterans as Manuel's highly cynical policy he had failed to provide an adequate flow of Provisions or a large enough shadowing Fleet to sucker or transport the Western host even if impotent to keep Turkish incursions Down The Valleys of Western Asia Minor from attacking the French Manuel failed to encourage local Greek officials or citizens to show Hospitality welcome or open markets with the German Army destroyed Manuel's policy appeared less nervous and thus less supportive his alliance with Louis now redundant while not wishing the Crusaders ill Manuel no longer needed to appear to promote their interests especially if they endangered his own in Anatolia or Northern Syria Tireman goes on so when Conrad fell ill at Ephesus Manuel saw the chance to reverse his diplomacy abandon the French to their fate good or ill and reconstitute the Byzantine German alliance against Roger of Sicily whisking Conrad off to Constantinople by sea Manuel personally tended to the invalid amidst generous Hospitality that the German king must have contrasted with the dry forbidding welcome he had received at Constantinople only three months before then he commanded one of the largest fighting forces ever sent from Western Europe now he returned a sick old man nursing wounds to bodies spirit and reputation only too grateful for any comfort offered [Music] and so the German Emperor Conrad III departed via a Byzantine ship for Constantinople to recover from his illness under the care of Manuel kamninis foreign Louis VII led the Crusader Army onward swinging Inland from Ephesus heading east over the Meander Valley the Christian host was in for a lengthy grueling slog of over 200 miles across rugged landscapes their destination was Adalia a port on the southern shore of Asia Minor from there they could reach cilicia ruled by The Armenian Christians lacking the support of a Byzantine Fleet this direct Overland March seemed like The Logical course however it would expose the Christian troops to Turkish attack [Music] as it turned out the March was brutal Turkish Cavalry forces tracked the French column every step of the way and launched an attack on Christmas Eve when the Crusaders were encamped outside of Ephesus in this minor engagement the Crusaders successfully repelled the seljuk forces however the Turks continued to track the progress of the Crusaders David Nicole writes Louis carefully arranged his line of March with well-armed knights in the front rear and flanks while the vulnerable baggage train and the wounded remained in the center [Music] they reached the treacherous Meander River Valley here the Crusaders would have to for the river and here the sultan mesood the first of room had set his trap mesu divided his host concealing the first part of the Army on one side of the Meander where it could attack the Christian rear guard as it approached the river meanwhile on the opposite Bank of the river the second part of massoud's army would block the advance of the Christians and attack them as they attempted to forward the waters the Christians approached the river only to find the seljuk Army arrayed before them on the opposite Bank thus on January 1st 1148 began the first major engagement between Louie's Army and the army of the seljuk Sultan of room the battle of the Meander River initially everything worked according to mesood's plan as the Christian Vanguard approached the river they faced a hail of Turkish arrows while their rear guard was suddenly attacked by the first division of mesood's army however the Crusaders managed to secure a Ford and mesut's Cavalry wasn't able to retreat in time William of Tire recounts the battle at last they found the Fords and despite the enemy's efforts forced a passage across the river and rushed upon the Turks they killed many of them and took numerous Prisoners the rest turned and fled the Victorious Franks at once seized the Turkish Camp which was filled with Spoils of the richest kind and supplies of every description and by vigorous action made themselves masters of the farther Bank crucially the Frankish Knights were able to engage closely before the Turks could Retreat as David Nicole writes the attacker's withdrawal was too slow and they were hit by a counter charge driving the enemy back with substantial losses this Victory boosted Spirits in Louis Army and alleviated some of their supply problems although masood's Army had suffered serious casualties and the loss of their Camp the Turkish forces remained intact and were fully capable of regrouping and attacking again foreign the Crusaders reached laodicea on January 3rd a region where Byzantine control was tenuous and many believed the local governor was in League with the seljuk Turks now the Christians face their most daunting challenge the enormous mountain of Cadmus tried to maintain a sound marching order for this is what had afforded him the victory at the Battle of the Meander River most of the Cavalry marched with the Vanguard while the baggage was in the center and King Louis himself commanded the rear guard on January 8 as the Christian hosts struggled to surmount the treacherous path over Mount Cadmus Queen Eleanor's vassal Joffrey of ronsson commanded the Vanguard at some point the Vanguard became separated from the rest of the army Joffrey pressed ahead searching for a suitable Campground either ignoring or being unaware of orders to Halt and wait for the rest of the Army on the crest [Music] meanwhile the rear guard paused to guard the foot of the pass intending to march on the next day this left the vulnerable and cumbersome baggage train almost unguarded as it moved over the mountain Sultan Masood seized this opportunity occupying the crest of the past mesu dispatched forces to assail the Christian baggage train which was strung out to almost 10 kilometers on the treacherous mountain path Louise chaplain Odo was with the baggage train when the Turks initially struck Panic spread across the center column Odo galloped to the rear guard under King Louis when Louis realized what was happening he had once rushed forward with his royal guard but the Steep terrain made it difficult for his Horsemen to operate effectively Fierce fighting followed Louie's personal courage in the moment is admirable accompanied only by his household Knights the king managed to protect his infantry and non-combatants by charging the enemy most of the king's Royal Guard were killed at his side Louis himself was nearly captured and Odo provides a now famous account of the king's narrow Escape during this engagement the king lost his small but renowned Royal Guard keeping a stout heart however he nimbly and bravely scaled a rock by making use of some tree roots the enemy climbed after in order to capture him and the most distant rabble showered arrows at him but the king's armor protected him from the arrows and to keep from being captured he defended the Craig with his bloody sword cutting off the heads and hands of many opponents in the process since they did not recognize him and felt that he would be difficult to capture the enemy thereupon turned back to collect the spoils before nightfall in this case Louie's unkingly appearance may have saved him under cover of night the king along with other stragglers managed to regroup with the Vanguard which had returned to help defend the baggage column toward the end of the battle the Turks had won a brilliant Victory and inflicted enormous casualties on the Crusader Army however the dogged fighting Spirit of the Christians had averted total Annihilation the Army remained intact more than could be said for Conrad III and his forces the French had suffered a defeat at the Battle of Mount Cadmus but they had survived Masood the first had shown himself a very effective General despite the setback at the Meander River he'd picked the perfect location for his next attack and inflicted a serious defeat on his enemy his victory at Mount Cadmus was as important as his earlier Victory against the Germans at Dory lamb [Applause] to avoid another disaster Louis placed command of the army with the Knights Templar led by their grand master everard de Barr over the course of the March Louis had come to rely on the advice of the Templars so now in this moment of Crisis he naturally turned to them ever divided the Army into units of 50 each subject to an individual Templar Each of which was subject to a general Commander named brother Gilbert this new Arrangement proved effective though the Army was already badly reduced after the defeat at Mount Cadmus Turks adopted a scorched Earth policy so that the land was all but devoid of plunder [Music] foreign by the time the Crusader Army reached Adelia on January 20 it was hungry and exhausted at this point they found a Byzantine Fleet too small to transport the whole of the Frankish host to secure the basic food needed for survival Louis had to again swear an oath of loyalty to Manuel before the local Byzantine Governor there were only enough ships to transport the king and the nightly Elite of the army initially Louis insisted that he would march on with the bulk of the army via the land root but the upper ranks objected to this insisting that the king must make all hastes of the holy land with the Army's best fighting units shamefully King Louis allowed himself to be persuaded by these arguments a general who separates himself from his troops does more damage to his cause than his enemy Louis did just that boarding the Byzantine ships along with the other Knights and upper ranks of the French host the king left the bulk of the Infantry and non-combatants to carry on Overland it's not known how many of these people ever made it to Antioch some of them didn't even try electing to remain in Adelia some took service with the local Byzantine Garrison some according to the chaplain Odo even took service with the Sultan of room who did not require them to renounce Christianity of those that did attempt to March over land many fell in the Hills to the arrows of Turkish Horsemen only a very few finally made it to Antioch [Music] years later Richard the lionheart would avoid all these problems by carefully Contracting and organizing his own Fleet for the journey to the Holy Land Louis here was at the mercy of forces Beyond his control after surviving the brutal march across Asia Minor his army was ultimately broken up by poor Logistics news of the victories of the Sultan of room spread throughout the Muslim world the zengeid chronicler IBN al-athir provides a good sense of how the Muslim World perceived the initial stages of the Crusade this year the king of the Germans came from his lands with a great host and a large following of Franks aiming to attack Islamic territory and not doubting that he would conquer it with the easiest of fighting because of the great multitude of his following and the abundance of his money and equipment in Damascus word of the defeat of the French and German armies in Asia Minor bolster the confidence of the Muslim population one chronicler from Damascus noted that this news convinced the damascenes of the invasion of the Franks would fail Jonathan Riley Smith writes it must be stressed that although for most of his March Louis had been leading his army through a region supposedly under Byzantine control it had received little support from the population the government or its officers and the survivors can only have remembered the frustration and broken promises a recent historical judgment is that Manuel's fear of the French was so great that he connived at their destruction the French had been distrustful of the byzantines before they had left France their experiences in the Balkans and Asia Minor had borne out the complaints of their predecessors and left them with an abiding bitterness foreign [Music] Damascus Spirits were bolstered by news of the victories of Sultan Masood over the Crusaders in Asia Minor the Damascus chronicler IBN al-kalanisi records fresh reports of their losses and the destruction of their numbers were constantly arriving until the end of the year with the result that men were restored to some degree of Tranquility of mind and began to gain some confidence in the failure of their Enterprise and their former distress and fear were alleviated in spite of the repeated reports of the activities of the Franks after a three-day Voyage Louis Eleanor and the other high-ranking French reached the port of Saint Simeon and the principality of Antioch on March 19 1148 at last the king had arrived in the Crusader States for months the Latin Christians of the Crusader States had waited patiently for the arrival of vast reinforcements under the rulers of France and Germany instead Louis VII and a remnant of his great Army showed up at Antioch in the spring of 1148 the bulk of the crusading forces both French and German had either deserted or perished in Asia Minor thank you King Louis and queen Eleanor were welcomed by the ruler of the principality of Antioch Raymond of Poitier Raymond was a most gracious host to the king and queen showing them every hospitality Raymond was eager to secure the aid of the king of France in extending his own Frontier to the East and so he was motivated to make the king and his Entourage feel particularly welcome Queen Eleanor was delighted by the lavish social life at Antioch Raymond was Eleanor's uncle and his court abounding in music and color reminded Eleanor of her beloved Aquitaine later Eleanor's political enemies would claim that she'd broken her marriage vows at Antioch by engaging in illicit Affairs but there's no evidence to support this what inspired later French chroniclers to Heap her with so much slander was the fact that she and Louis would ultimately divorce and Eleanor would marry Henry II of England thus empowering the great rival of the king of France in reality all evidence indicates that Eleanor simply relished the poetry and Lively social occasions at Antioch the idea that Queen Eleanor are constantly surrounded by her ladies Royal Guards and other attendants would have had occasion to engage in adultery is itself rather fanciful and says more about modern fantasies than medieval realities Antioch was a splendid and Wealthy City one wonders if Louis felt any guilt at abandoning his men to continue the dangerous March over land while he relaxed amid antiox luxuries together Louis and Raymond discussed the next move for the Crusade Odessa had been demolished by noradin and was no longer a viable goal but Raymond explained the zengids were now entrenched in civil conflict nor Adeen ruler of Aleppo was quarreling with his brother Sai fadin Prince of mosul now was the perfect time for the Crusaders to launch a campaign to conquer the strategically crucial city of Aleppo Raymond and Louis were very different men Raymond was tall handsome and dashing a natural military man steeped in the chivalric ideals of Aquitaine Louis was Pious austere and withdrawn there is a popular idea that Clash of personalities explains why Louis declined to join Raymond in a campaign against Aleppo the Christopher Tireman points out that strategic realities most likely determined Louie's decision Louis had a substantial force of knights with him but he'd abandoned his infantry and support staff in Asia Minor such forces would have been essential to reduce a stronghold like Aleppo meanwhile the king knew that fresh Crusader forces were currently arriving by sea farther south at the ports of tire and acre in the kingdom of Jerusalem essentially Louis would have to go to where the troops were he would have to go to the kingdom of Jerusalem in effect to rebuild his army this accorded with Louie's personal preferences as a Pious man he was deeply interested in visiting the holy city thus it's no surprise that Louis announced he would depart for Jerusalem with his forces this is where tensions erupted between the king and queen Raymond made his case to his niece and Eleanor wanted to support her relative Eleanor went so far as to Proclaim that unless Louis joined her uncle's campaign she would seek an annulment of their marriage this was only the first great rupture in what had been a long simmering discontent between Louis and Eleanor Louis worshiped his beautiful extravagant wife but the queen found her Monkish drab husband unappealing but even this Outburst was too much for the mild Louis to tolerate he placed the queen under house arrest and departed Antioch for Palestine by the time Louis reached Jerusalem Conrad recovered from his illness was already there as well with Conrad was a substantial Army of fresh Mercenaries Crusaders arriving from Provence as well as veterans from the conquest of Lisbon were showing up by ship around this time as well combined with the local forces of the kingdom of Jerusalem the crusade's strength was greatly replenished Christopher Tireman argues that despite the distractions defeats desertions and high casualties the Western forces that gathered in utramere in the spring of 1148 constituted easily the largest Christian Army to arrive in utramere since 1097 through 1099 that is since the first crusade however this may still have been a fairly small army historians Emily Babcock and AC cray argued that the army that besieged Damascus was not a very large one probably no larger than the one which had attempted the same task 20 years before here Babcock and cray are referencing Baldwin II's Army that besieged Damascus in 1129 which contained around 2 000 Knights and 10 000 infantry interestingly this is about the size of the army of the First Crusade when it besieges Jerusalem in 1099 it contained about 13 000 men in total this gives us a good idea of the size of the army that assembled in Jerusalem in the summer of 1148. [Music] on June 24 1148 Louis and Conrad joined the teenage King Baldwin III of Jerusalem and his mother Queen melissan for a council to discuss the Crusades next move most of the magnates of Jerusalem endorsed a campaign against Damascus the Amir unar of Damascus had formerly been an ally to the kingdom of Jerusalem but recently unar had opted to forge an alliance with nor Adeen of Aleppo instead in fact nor Adeen had recently married unar's daughter it made sense to try and prevent the powerful zengids from bringing Damascus fully under their control the conquest of Damascus would solidify Frankish power in southern Syria and Northern Palestine it would provide the kingdom of Jerusalem with the natural Frontier of the Eastern desert and effectively split the Muslim World in two cutting off Egypt from zenged Syria Louis and Conrad were convinced Damascus would be the next Target of the Second Crusade in hindsight many commentators have criticized the decision to besiege Damascus some today still mistakenly believe that the Crusaders were attacking an ally but the alliance between Damascus and Jerusalem had already collapsed and the Emir unar of Damascus had struck a new alliance with noradin but opinions were divided within Damascus and Powerful figures within the city remained hostile to the zengids the Templars and other leading figures in the kingdom of Jerusalem may have had contact with treacherous elements within the city and this may be why they felt that Damascus could be taken quickly it made sense to try and capitalize on the Discord within Damascus before the city was brought firmly under the control of the powerful zenged Dynasty [Music] meanwhile the Emir unar of Damascus prepared for war rumors had been circulating since the spring that the Crusade would likely be directed against Damascus and so he had considerable time to prepare he summoned local Arab tribes to join with his own Army and alerted the governors of Frontier provinces he also posted Scouts on the roads to Damascus and dispatched men to cut off or divert Water Supplies on the route that would be taken by the Crusaders most importantly he secured the help of the zenged rulers Saif Adin and Nur Adeen who put aside their civil conflict and organized their Oscar troops and armies within days of receiving unar's appeal everything about the planning for the attack on Damascus indicates that the Crusaders anticipated a rapid campaign they believed that the city would either surrender quickly or be overwhelmed by a swift assault the Christian Army led by Louis VII of France Conrad III of Germany and Baldwin III of Jerusalem mustered at Tiberius in mid-july uniting around the relic of the True Cross the Kingdom's most prized standard thank you they then struck out for Damascus arriving before the city on the 24th the Christians approached the city from the west where grew immense Orchards watered by the burrata River these Orchards were useful both defensively and as a source of Provisions for the Army plus the river would provide the besieging forces with abundant water initially the local forces of Damascus tried to hold the Orchards but the Crusaders attacked and pushed them out the city's Cavalry forces now made a stand at the barata river but the Christians attacked under the leadership of Conrad III the German Knights fought in a tight formation on foot drove the Muslim forces back and secured control of the Barada River the Christians were now well positioned to launch an assault but after two days of attacks the city did not fall news arrived at both nor Adeen and his brother Saif Adin were approaching with their armies for the relief of Damascus [Music] William of tire claims that at this point the Crusaders moved their Camp to the Eastern side of the city since the defensive walls here were weaker however Emily Babcock and AC cray point out that William of tire was writing much later and was not a witness to these events IBN al-kalanisi the Damascus chronicler was present in the city at the time and his account is the best and most accurate for The Siege and he does not describe the Crusaders Shifting the location of their camp Babcock and cray explain none of the Arab writers mentioned such a shift of the Christian Camp kalanisi the best Authority on The Siege gives a day-by-day description of the battles from Saturday to Thursday with a statement of the location according to him the Christians remained in the same general area until the day they withdrew from The Siege entirely on the fourth day of The Siege the Crusaders found themselves dealing with increasingly stiff resistance Babcock and cray note that Muslims summoned by letter were arriving in constantly increasing numbers the crusaders had gambled on a quick Conquest but resistance within Damascus had proved more stubborn than expected ultimately the approach of noradin and saith Adin with large zingid armies left the Crusaders with no option but to withdraw after only a four-day Siege the Christian Army retreated in good order at dawn on July 28 back to Jerusalem given the circumstance the Christian leaders had no other option to remain would have risked annihilation Siege of Damascus had failed although the Crusader forces remained intact they nevertheless achieved nothing once the Christian Army returned to Jerusalem The Crusade at last unraveled Conrad departed on September 8th sailing for thessalonica and then arriving again in Constantinople once more the German Emperor was entertained by the Byzantine emperor now fully reconciled Conrad and Emmanuel discussed plans to once and for all destroy their Mutual enemy Roger II of Sicily Louis VII remained in Palestine until Easter of 1149 from France Abbott suger kept writing to his King asking him to return but Louis was determined to remain in the holy land until he could at least do some good for the Crusader Kingdom Eleanor is kept under armed guard but she was now determined to end her marriage as soon as she was back in Europe indeed this is part of what kept the French party in Palestine for Louis hoped to convince his wife not to seek an annulment before they sailed home it's clear from his correspondence that Louis was convinced that the Byzantine emperor Manuel kamenis had played a key role in the failure of the Second Crusade in fact when the King was returning home on Sicilian ships he was detained by a Byzantine Fleet the byzantines very nearly arrested Louis himself Eleanor of Aquitaine traveling on other ships was also detained for a Time by the Byzantine Navy by the time Louis arrived in Italy his experience over the past two years had brought him around to the view of Roger II of Sicily the two monarchs began to discuss a new Crusade this time directed against the byzantines the failure before Damascus brought an end to the Second Crusade in the Eastern Levant when the Christian Coalition returned to Jerusalem there was a brief discussion about launching a campaign to take ascalon Conrad III waited but few agreed to participate in another offensive after a week the German Emperor departed for the West harboring bitter feelings toward the nobility of the Latin East having led the largest army Conrad had lost the most during the Crusade his nephew Frederick the future Frederick Barbarossa had been with him throughout the long horrific experience and his future events would reveal took many lessons from it Frederick one day as Emperor himself would lead his own Crusade and his march across Anatolia would be impeccable indeed in 1190 during the Third Crusade Frederick Barbarossa would crush the seljuk Turks on the battlefield numerous times and then dictate terms to them after capturing their capital city of Iconium Frederick wasn't alone in taking valuable lessons from the experience Second Crusade had very much been Bernard of clairvo's project and he'd emphasized the role of God's Providence future Crusaders like Barbarossa and Richard the lionheart would tend to the spiritual side of the campaign but would be particularly meticulous in seeing to the organization of their armies making arrangements for supplies and maintaining their independence from rulers encountered along the way Barbarossa was particularly wary of the byzantines and during his Crusade he would face outright treachery from a collapsing Byzantine regime but in barbarossa's case it wouldn't matter very much for his well-oiled powerful Army would dominate the byzantines easily Conrad's brother the bishop Otto of friesing tried to see a silver lining in the whole miserable experience recalling although it was not good for the enlargement of boundaries or for the advantage of bodies yet it was good for the Salvation of Souls although a failed Crusader Louis VII returned to the West with his reputation enhanced in a society in which crusading had become the ideal the King was admired for having taken up God's work in the Holy Land suffering along with Christ in Palestine his authority as King was magnified as well as was his relationship with the princely houses of champagne and Flanders in 1150 Louis even discussed launching another crusade to Aid the East but this came to nothing as an old man the King was often heard to swear by the Saints of Bethlehem across Christendom there was much sorrow over the outcome of the Holy Land campaign even in the Iberian Peninsula where the Crusade had been a universal success many were saddened by the terrible defeats suffered in the east some churchmen criticized the Enterprise accusing its leaders of arrogance immorality and rapacity but were men like Louis VII and Conrad III less morally upright than the heroes of the First Crusade Pope eugenius III stated that the failure in the East had caused quote the most severe injury of the Christian name that God's church has suffered in our time a later Pope Hadrian IV probably got to the heart of the matter when he criticized Louis VII for undertaking The Crusade quote with little Caution if Louis VII and Conrad III were guilty of anything and was failing to plan exhaustively they organized large Splendid armies but failed to take steps toward maintaining discipline and unity or toward ensuring the steady flow of supplies both rulers had to rely on Manuel kamninis who proved to be a poor Ally later Richard the lionheart and Frederick barbarosso would both lay out meticulous codes of conduct for their armies and then enforce them strictly in Richard's case he organized and controlled his own Fleet both men exercised such effective leadership over their armies that they were capable of subduing questionable allies in Sicily or in Byzantium and Richard even conquered his own Supply base at Cyprus it's hard to imagine either Louis or Conrad showing such resourcefulness Bernard of clairvaux came under particular criticism though his reputation for Holiness remained intact the saint issued a defense of he and the Pope's Crusade policy de consideration between 1149 and 1152 not surprisingly Bernard pointed to sin as the main cause of the crusade's failure but he also acknowledged the finality of divine judgment impenetrable to the minds of men he compared the whole Affair to the disobedient Hebrews of the Old Testament wandering in the wilderness casting himself and Pope eugenius as Aaron and Moses doing God's work however difficult I would rather that men murmur against us than against God wrote the Abbot it would be well for me if he deigns to use me for his shield Otto of friesing points out that the memory of the Eastern campaign lingered long throughout Christendom and cooled enthusiasm for Holy Land Crusades for at least a generation he wrote so great was the disaster of the army and so inexpressible the misery that those who took part bemoted with tears to this very day although there would not be another major Crusade launched to the east until Jerusalem itself fell in 1187. the Holy Land continued to concern the West Christian rulers popes continued to call for new Crusades though the response from the 1150s through the early 1180s was generally tepid Louis VII and Henry II of England would raise substantial funds to be sent to the kingdom of Jerusalem in truth however the Crusader states did not enter a period of decline although the county of Odessa had been lost the kingdom of Jerusalem grew in strength and wealth conquering Ashkelon in 1153 new castles were raised on the frontier in part from funds provided by the monarchs of France and England the Templars and hospitalers continued to attract large endowments and deployed increasingly strong military forces in Palestine by 1170 the Latin East was flourishing and holding its own against the challenge of its powerful neighbors crusading continued to evolve and become more prominent on the Northern front as well as in the Iberian Peninsula the rulers of Spain and Portugal established their own military orders and Crusaders continued to join the Iberian Kings in their regular campaigns against the Moors the Second Crusade produced wildly mixed results but as a whole it provides a striking picture of Latin Christendom in the middle of the 12th century here was a civilization undeniably on the rise now the increasingly wealthy well-equipped kings of France and Germany were leading substantial offensives into the seats of empire in the east the Second Crusade also demonstrates the increasing religious unity of Latin Europe the religious unity amounted in many ways to a certain political Unity expressing itself in an almost continent-wide joint Enterprise from Portugal to the Slavic Northeast Italy to England the Christian World took up the same cause France and Germany acting in concert division still existed and Wars within Latin Christendom would remain a regular reality but the unity of the Second Crusade is remarkable and in some ways is the product of the triumphant First Crusade the First Crusade had also brought Latin Christendom together this would continue through the high Middle Ages throughout the age of crusading [Music] thanks for watching and don't forget to check out blinkist the app that enables you to understand the most important things from over 5500 non-fiction books and podcasts in just 15 minutes click my link in the description to get 25 off blinkist premium and enjoy two memberships for the price of one foreign [Applause]

Channel: Real Crusades History

Views: 381,786

Keywords: crusades, medieval, crusades history, second crusade, louis vii of france, knights templar, zengi, conrad iii of germany, eleanor of aquitaine, wendish crusade, siege of lisbon, afonso i of portugal, alfonso vii of castile and leon, almoravids, battle of dorylaeum, seljuk turks, mesud i, battle of mount cadmus, siege of damascus, baldwin iii of jerusalem, queen melisende, melisende of jerusalem, history of the crusades, crusades documentary, second crusade documentary

Id: Ze5FIrT8hSU

Length: 124min 37sec (7477 seconds)

Published: Sat Mar 11 2023