Crusaders Fail at Damascus: Second Crusade Doomed
The siege lasted four days. Four. Conrad III of Germany and Louis VII of France commanded the largest crusader army since Jerusalem fell in 1099—over 50,000 soldiers—and couldn't breach Damascus's walls long enough to finish breakfast. They'd picked the one Muslim city actually friendly to Christians, turning a potential ally into a permanent enemy. Worse: they retreated to the worst position on the battlefield, waterless orchards, then just... left. The entire Second Crusade collapsed because nobody checked which side of the walls had wells.
July 29, 1148
878 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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