Daily Curiosity

Middle Ages · Question

What is the “Second Crusade” generally dated to?

Answer

1147–1149

The story behind the answer

It falls in this window because the expedition was launched after the fall of Edessa (1144), preached by Bernard of Clairvaux, and led mainly by Louis VII of France and Conrad III of Germany. Their armies set out in 1147, suffered heavy losses crossing Anatolia, and the campaign effectively collapsed after the failed siege of Damascus in 1148, with the effort winding down by 1149. Notably, while the Levantine front failed, crusaders aided Portugal in capturing Lisbon in 1147, and related campaigns unfolded in the Baltic.

The other date ranges mark different crusades: 1096–1099 (First Crusade), 1189–1192 (Third Crusade of Richard I, Philip II, Frederick I), and 1202–1204 (Fourth Crusade, which sacked Constantinople).

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