Second Crusade

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Second Crusade

European history

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July 13, 2026

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The Second Crusade, spanning from 1147 to 1149, was a response to the fall of Edessa to Muslim forces. It was the first Crusade formally sanctioned by a papal bull, Quantum praedecessores, issued by Pope Eugenius III. This Crusade was notably led by two European monarchs: King Louis VII of France and Emperor Conrad III of Germany. Unlike the First Crusade, the Second had multiple objectives, including attempts to recapture Edessa, fight Muslims in Spain, and combat pagans in the Baltic region. The Crusade faced significant challenges, including strained relations with the Byzantine emperor Manuel Comnenus and military defeats in Asia Minor. Ultimately, the Crusade ended in failure, with a notable defeat at the siege of Damascus, leading to widespread dismay in Europe and encouragement for Muslims.12

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Crusades
The Second Crusade
It had long been apparent that Edessa was vulnerable, but its loss came as a shock to Eastern and Western Christians. Urgent pleas for aid soon reached Europe, and in 1145 Pope Eugenius III issued a formal Crusade bull, Quantum praedecessores (“How Much…
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It had long been apparent that Edessa was vulnerable, but its loss came as a shock to Eastern and Western Christians. Urgent pleas for aid soon reached Europe, and in 1145 Pope Eugenius III issued a formal Crusade bull, Quantum praedecessores (“How Much…
Read More

St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Pillar of the church
…promote the cause of a Second Crusade (1147–49) to quell the prospect of a great Muslim surge engulfing both Latin and Greek Orthodox Christians. The Crusade ended in failure because of Bernard’s inability to account for the quarrelsome nature of politics, peoples, dynasties, and adventurers. He was an idealist with…
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…promote the cause of a Second Crusade (1147–49) to quell the prospect of a great Muslim surge engulfing both Latin and Greek Orthodox Christians. The Crusade ended in failure because of Bernard’s inability to account for the quarrelsome nature of politics, peoples, dynasties, and adventurers. He was an idealist with…
Read More

Siege of Damascus
The defeat of the Second Crusade at Damascus on July 23–28, 1148, ensured that the Christian crusader states in the Holy Land would remain on the defensive for the foreseeable future. With no hope of expanding their territorial holdings after that loss, Christians in the region were confined to…
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The defeat of the Second Crusade at Damascus on July 23–28, 1148, ensured that the Christian crusader states in the Holy Land would remain on the defensive for the foreseeable future. With no hope of expanding their territorial holdings after that loss, Christians in the region were confined to…
Read More

Siege of Edessa
…for the raising of the Second Crusade. This would greatly strengthen the remaining crusader states, although Edessa was never recaptured.
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…for the raising of the Second Crusade. This would greatly strengthen the remaining crusader states, although Edessa was never recaptured.
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