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The later Crusades were for the most part only expeditions to assist those who already were in the Holy Land; they are a single current, and dates are given them only for convenience.
Second Crusade
The Second Crusade, 1147–49, was preached by St. Bernard of Clairvaux after the fall (1144) oft was led by Holy Roman Emperor Conrad III, whose army set out first, and by King Louis VII of France. Both armies passed through the Balkans and pillaged the territory of the Byzantine emperor, Manuel I, who provided them with transportation to Asia Minor in order to be rid of them. The German contingent, already decimated by the Turks, merged (1148) with the French, who had fared only slightly better, at Acre (Akko). A joint attack on Damascus failed because of jealousy and, possibly, treachery among the Latin princes of the Holy Land. Conrad returned home in 1148 and was followed (1149) by Louis. The Second Crusade thus ended in dismal failure.
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