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  1. Home
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  3. The Second Crusade
Episode Details
Episode Details
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The Second Crusade (1147 .. 1149)

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t the end of 1144, Zengi, the ruler of Mosul, invaded the county of Edessa and surrounded the city of the same name starting a siege that lasted only a few weeks. On Christmas Eve of 1144 the city, that had been poorly defended fell and Zengi entered.

In the West there was no immediate response when the news arrived. Shortly after Eugenius III became Pope in 1145 several embassies arrived at the papal court to ask for help. One of the ambassadors sent to the Pope was Hugh, Bishop of Jabala. He arrived at Viterbo where the the new Pope, Eugenius was in residence, in the autumn of 1145. On December 1st, 1145 Eugenius issued the first cruading bull, known as the 'Quantum praedecessors' from its opening text an addressed it to King Louis VII of France.

In Bourges King Louis VII of France held a Christmas court where he devised his own plan to rescue Edessa. At the meeting Bishop Godfrey of Langres pleaded to the nobles assembled there to join their king in defending the crusader states. But enthusisam for the venture was not high. Even Aboot Sugar, the King's chief counsellor was opposed to the plan. Because of the general apathy King Louis decided to postpone further talk of the crusade until Easter of 1146 at a meeting in Vézelay. Both the Pope and the King asked Bernard, the Abbot of Clairvaux to attend the meeting. They both knew that the abbot had the power to enthuse to assembled crowds.

Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

In the first few months of 1146 Bernard visited both King Louis and the Pope where a series of negotiations took place. Bernard was unhappy that the crusade could be seen to be instigated by the King and he believed that it was important the the Pope should be the one to call it as Pope Urban II had done before the First Crusade. The result of these negotiations was the issuing of a second papal bull on the 1st of March. As expected the Abbot of Clairvaux's preaching at the meeting in Vézelay at Easter changed the minds of all who listened and they all took the Cross, the vow to go on Crusade, starting with King Louis.

Trouble in Italy

Pope Eugenius was unable to attend the meeting in Vézelay because he was trapped in Viterbo, some fifty miles to the north of Rome. He had been expelled from Rome by Arnold of Brescia, a canon who led an uprising against the Pope. Eugenius asked Bernard of Clairvaux not to preach in Germany as he hoped that the German king, Conrad III would help him return to Rome. But Bernard had different ideas and was preaching in Germany. Bernard met Conrad on Christmas Day at the Diet of Speyer. Within a few days the Abbot had convinced the German ruler to take the Cross and head for the Holy Land.

Episode Events
Episode Events

1144

Dec 24
Capture of Edessa
The county of Edessa, a Crusader state, was captured by Zengi, ruler of Mosul. This triggered the Second Crusade in 1148.

1145

Dec 1
First formal Bull of crusade
The first formal Papal Bull of Crusade or 'Bulla cruciata' calling on France to restore the Holy Land to Christendom was issued by Pope Eugenius III, together with 'Quantum praedecessors' which was reissued on the 1st of March 1146. ¹

1146

Mar 1
The Pope reissues Papal Bull for a Crusade
Pope Eugenius III reissued an amended Bull, a formal proclamation issued by the pope, proclaiming the Second Crusade.
Mar 31
Sermon at Vézelay
St. Bernard's sermon at Vézelay so moved Eleanor of Aquitaine that she vowed to go on Crusade.
Dec 25
Diet of Speyer
At the Diet of Speyer; the emperor Conrad III took the cross and secured the election of his son Henry as his successor in Germany. He was persuaded to take part in the crusade by the the Abbot of Clairvaux, St. Bernard. ¹

1147

Apr
Eugenius meets King Louis
The Pope left Viterbo in January and travelled to France. At the start of April he met the King at Dijon. It was agreed that Abbot Sugar would take care of France while the French King was away and the Pope and Abbot met several times. ¹
May (to 1148)
The start of the Second Crusade
The crusaders left Regensburg to march across land to Constantinople. ¹
Jun
Louis VII joins the Crusade
King Louis VII of France and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine began their Crusade. They declared Abbot Suger regent of France,

1148

Jun 24
Damascus attacked
The decision was made to attack Damascus. The armies were assembled in Acre. Present were Baldwin, the Patriarch Fulcher, Kings Louis and Conrad, Archbishops of Caesarea and Nazareth, Masters of the Knights Temple and Hospital. ¹
Sep
Conrad III leaves the Holy Land
Hostilities between the French and German leaders of the Second Crusade became such a problem that the German Emperor, Conrad III, abandoned the crusade and returned to Constantinople. The Second Crusade ended in failure. ¹

Event Participants and Locations

  • Euginius (Pope)
  • Bernard (of Clairvaux)
  • Eleanor (of Aquitaine)
  • Conrad (III, Emperor of Germany)
  • Louis (VII, The Young, King of France, 1137-1180)
  • Suger (of St Denis, Paris, Abbot)
  • Constantinople
  • Acre

Event Participants and Locations

  • Euginius (Pope)
  • Bernard (of Clairvaux)
  • Eleanor (of Aquitaine)
  • Conrad (III, Emperor of Germany)
  • Louis (VII, The Young, King of France, 1137-1180)
  • Suger (of St Denis, Paris, Abbot)
  • Constantinople
  • Acre
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Medieval Episodes

Early Middle Ages

  • Saxons and Angles
  • Viking Invasions

High Middle Ages

  • Edward the Confessor and Godwine
  • Reasons for the Norman Invasion
  • The Norman Invasion
  • The Norman Conquest
  • Background to the Crusades
  • People's and First Crusade
  • Second Crusade
  • Third Crusade
  • Stephen's succession to the throne
  • Civil War (The Anarchy)
  • The Conquest of Ireland
  • Henry II and Thomas Becket
  • Excommunication of King John
  • The First Barons' War
  • The Second Barons' War
  • Edward I and Wales
  • Edward I and Scotland

Last Middle Ages

  • Edward II and Piers Gaveston
  • Robert the Bruce
  • Isabella, She-Wolf of France and death of Edward II
  • Edward III starts the Hundred Years War
  • Continues with Richard II
  • Henry V invades France
  • Henry VI and Joan of Arc
  • The Black Death
  • The Peasants Revolt
  • The Lords Appellant
  • Glendower's Revolt
  • Wars of the Roses

Early Modern Period

  • The Great Explorers
  • Henry VIII and his six wives
  • Lady Jane Grey, the Nine Day Queen

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