Historical Overview Section
The Second Crusade (1147-1149) was the second major crusade launched from Europe, called in 1145 in response to the fall of the County of Edessa the previous year. Edessa was the first of the Crusader states to have been founded during the First Crusade (1095-1099), and was the first to fall. The Second Crusade was announced by Pope Eugene III, and was the first of the crusades to be led by European kings, namely Louis VII of France and Conrad III of Germany, with help from a number of other important European nobles. The armies of the two kings marched separately across Europe and were somewhat hindered by Byzantine emperor Manuel I Comnenus; after crossing Byzantine territory into Anatolia, both armies were separately defeated by the Seljuk Turks. Louis and Conrad and the remnants of their armies reached Jerusalem and, in 1148, participated in an ill-advised attack on Damascus. The crusade in the east was a failure for the crusaders and a great victory for the Muslims. It would ultimately lead to the fall of Jerusalem and the Third Crusade at the end of the 12th century.
The only success came outside of the Mediterranean, where Flemish, Frisian, Norman, English, Scottish, and some German crusaders, on the way by ship to the Holy Land, fortuitously stopped and helped the Portuguese in the capture of Lisbon in 1147
Using the army in ADLG
- hint 1
- hint 2
Useful Links
User-contributed links about this army:
- Painting Guides from Brendan Moyle's site
- Early Blazon.com Site showing early coat of arms from their onset to the end of the Crusades, with separate sections for each Crusade
- Crusader Flags to download and use
- Equiping a Hospitaler Knight re-enactment shopping guide
- Crusader States history
- Later Crusader Army usage statistics from the ADLG ranking site
Army Lists
Sample army lists for this army
187 Later Crusader Orphan Brigade
Competent
2 Templars Medium knight impact Elite
3 Sergeants crossbow ½ Heavy spearmen ½ Crossbowmen ------
2 Sergeants Heavy spearmen ------
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Competent
2 Sergeants Heavy spearmen ------
3 Sergeants crossbow ½ Heavy spearmen ½ Crossbowmen ------
2 Syrians Light infantry bow ------
2 Templars Medium knight impetuous Elite
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Competent
2 Crusaders Medium knight impact
1 Bedouins Light cavalry impact
1 Turcopoles Light cavalry bow
187 L Crusader Michigan Brothers
Competent
2 Sergeants with Spear Heavy spearmen Ordinary 8 16
3 Sergeants in Mixed Units ½ Heavy spearmen ½ Crossbowmen Ordinary 10 30
2 Crusaders and Templars Medium Knight impact Ordinary 11 22
1 Light Infantry Bow Light infantry crossbow Ordinary 4 4
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Competent
2 Sergeants with Spear Heavy spearmen Ordinary 8 16
3 Sergeants in Mixed Units ½ Heavy spearmen ½ Crossbowmen Ordinary 10 30
2 Crusaders and Templars Medium Knight impact Ordinary 11 22
1 Light Infantry Bow Light infantry crossbow Ordinary 4 4
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Competent Included
Crusaders Knights Medium Knight impetuous Elite 12 12
2 Crusaders Knights Medium Knight impetuous Ordinary 10 20
2 Turcopoles Light cavalry bow Ordinary 6 12