One of few medieval battles where Byzantine tactical dispositions are described in detail by contemporary primary sources.
Key Facts
- Year
- 1147
- Conflict
- Second Crusade
- German leader
- Conrad III of Germany
- Byzantine Emperor
- Manuel I Komnenos
- Location
- Outskirts of Constantinople
- Outcome
- Byzantine victory; Germans ferried across Bosporus
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Emperor Manuel I Komnenos grew alarmed by the proximity of a large, unruly German Crusader army near Constantinople. Prior armed clashes and perceived insults from Conrad III heightened tensions. A French Crusader army was also approaching, and the prospect of the two forces joining outside the capital prompted Manuel to deploy Byzantine troops along the city walls.
Byzantine forces arrayed outside Constantinople's walls confronted part of the German Crusader army, which launched an attack. The German assault was repulsed and the attackers suffered heavy losses, according to historian Michael Angold. The engagement was limited in scale but represented a direct military clash between the empire and its nominal Christian allies passing through Byzantine territory.
Following their defeat, the German Crusaders agreed to be rapidly ferried across the Bosporus into Asia Minor, removing the immediate threat to Constantinople. The episode illustrated the deep mutual suspicion between Byzantium and the crusading forces, and its primary source accounts preserve unusually detailed descriptions of Byzantine tactical dispositions for the period.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Manuel I Komnenos.
Side B
1 belligerent
Conrad III of Germany.