Why did people participate in the Second Crusade

Religious Motives

Political Motives

Economic Motives

Social Motives

To take advantage of the opportunity God has afforded them to act in his service

Gain penance

To convert or wipe out non-Christians

Feudal or family ties

Duty to the memory of their fathers

Quantum Praedecessores

For status (myths of first Crusade)

To neutralise enemies

To create Vassals and unite kingdom

To gain trading privileges

Territorial ambitions

success of 1099 crusade = God endorsed crusades

1st Crusade Regarded as single astonishing even that was unrepeatable

Iberian peninsula suffered campaigns like crusade in 1113-15 when Catalan and Pisan offences attacked Balearic Islands

Unrefined ideology of crusade

Bernard argued that God only pretended to be in need as act of charity + deliberately engineered threat to Holy Land so that Christians could have chance of spiritual purification

Pope was in long running dispute with people of Rome over secular governance of city

Forced to live in exile: 1145 spent in Viterbo - 55 miles from Lateran Palace

Louis' early reign = disputes w/ rome over French ecclesiastical appointments - predecessor had temporarily excommunicated

by 1145 had reconciled w/ pope

After reconciliation, Louis had new religious fervour w/ penitential streak

Memory of 1st crusade was central to Eugenius' vision of new campaign

Eugenius said that he was motivated to summon 2nd crusade due to example of "our predecessor of happy memory, Pope Urban"

Eugenius made it clear that spiritual rewards were on offer

Eugenius emphasised that he had divine mandate

Eugenius said that Edessa had been "taken by the enemies of Christ"

Eugenius said that predecessors had sacrificed "their own blood" to take Jerusalem "from the filth of the pagans" - imagery meant to emphasise notions of familial obligation

Provided specificity - would "grant remission of and absolution from sins"

Conrad III still not been crowned as HRE by Pope but was close because has shown himself to be a true papal ally

Louis had bloodline connection through great-uncle Hugh of Vermandois + many were similar

Old French song "Knights, much is promised" from months after Vézelay assembly "His soul will go to paradise

Pope may not have been in control of crusading movement

Fighting in Iberia and Baltic

Some wanted to fight in Wendish territory for trading privileges and not go to Holy land

Bernard wanted to extend papacy's power over Europe

Baltic campaign

Failed harvests in western Europe = even Louis and Conrad struggling to pay for campaign

Kings leaving for crusade posed problems

fractious nature of politics in Europe meant that crown involvement in crusade extended potential for antagonism between contingents

Long standing international rivalry between France and Germany could have undermined expedition

had to appoint regents