The Second Crusade 1148: Disaster Outside Damascus (campaign)
by David Nicolle /
2009 / English / PDF
22.4 MB Download
After the fall of the crusader kingdom of Edessa, the Pope called
for a new crusade in 1145. This new campaign by the Christian west
against the forces of eastern Islam would culminate in the 1148
siege of Damascus, then the capital city of an Islamic state that
had been friendly towards the crusaders. Despite the earlier
successes for the crusaders at Antioch and Jerusalem, and the weak
fortifications around Damascus, the siege proved a dismal and
embarrassing failure for the western armies. The siege was
abandoned soon after it had started and the crusaders retreated.
This defeat shocked the Christian world and dealt a severe blow to
the confidence of the crusading armies, while bolstering the morale
of their enemies.
After the fall of the crusader kingdom of Edessa, the Pope called
for a new crusade in 1145. This new campaign by the Christian west
against the forces of eastern Islam would culminate in the 1148
siege of Damascus, then the capital city of an Islamic state that
had been friendly towards the crusaders. Despite the earlier
successes for the crusaders at Antioch and Jerusalem, and the weak
fortifications around Damascus, the siege proved a dismal and
embarrassing failure for the western armies. The siege was
abandoned soon after it had started and the crusaders retreated.
This defeat shocked the Christian world and dealt a severe blow to
the confidence of the crusading armies, while bolstering the morale
of their enemies.
Utilizing numerous illustrations and full-color artwork, medieval
warfare expert David Nicolle analyzes the often-debated battles
around Damascus, explaining how the domination of the surrounding
countryside by the Islamic forces became the decisive factor, and
how the besieging crusading forces found themselves under siege. He
also looks at the crusade in the larger context of the battle
between East and West and explains how the Second Crusade proved a
turning point in this ongoing struggle.
Utilizing numerous illustrations and full-color artwork, medieval
warfare expert David Nicolle analyzes the often-debated battles
around Damascus, explaining how the domination of the surrounding
countryside by the Islamic forces became the decisive factor, and
how the besieging crusading forces found themselves under siege. He
also looks at the crusade in the larger context of the battle
between East and West and explains how the Second Crusade proved a
turning point in this ongoing struggle.