Key Facts
- Duration
- 4 days (24–28 July 1148)
- Year
- 1148
- Result
- Crusader defeat; full retreat to Jerusalem
- Decision council
- Council of Acre chose Damascus as target
- Crusade context
- Part of the Second Crusade (1147–1149)
Strategic Narrative Overview
The crusaders advanced on Damascus from the western side, where the orchards of Ghouta offered reliable food and water. They began the siege on 24 July 1148, using timber from the orchards for their camp. On 27 July, the army shifted to the less fortified eastern plain, but that ground offered far scarcer supplies. Local crusader lords, reportedly fearing rivals would claim Damascus, refused to continue, forcing the three kings to abandon the siege.
01 / The Origins
Pope Eugene III and Bernard of Clairvaux called the Second Crusade after the fall of Edessa in 1144. Kings Louis VII of France and Conrad III of Germany led the main Christian forces to the Holy Land. Both suffered catastrophic losses crossing Anatolia. At the Council of Acre, the crusader leadership—influenced by King Baldwin III and the Knights Templar—chose Damascus rather than Edessa as their primary objective.
03 / The Outcome
The crusader army retreated entirely to Jerusalem by 28 July 1148, marking the effective end of the Second Crusade in failure. The hasty withdrawal damaged trust between the European crusaders and the local Frankish nobility of Outremer. Damascus subsequently aligned more closely with Zengi's successor Nur ad-Din, accelerating the consolidation of Muslim power surrounding the crusader states.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Louis VII of France, Conrad III of Germany, Baldwin III of Jerusalem.
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.