ABSTRACT
The First Crusade had brought the ‘Catholic Core’ into intimate contact with two other centres of expansion, Byzantium and the Turks of North Syria whose weakness was the immediate cause of the crusade. The Turkish expansionism which had dominated the Middle East in the eleventh century remained vigorous, despite divisions amongst its leaders. In December 1144 the Muslim ruler of Aleppo, Zengi, recaptured Edessa for Islam. News of this disaster filtered through to the west rather slowly. Bishop Hugh of Jabala arrived in Rome on an ecclesiastical mission in late 1145 and seems to have discussed the matter with the pope, but it is far from certain that he was carrying any appeal from the leaders of the settlers in the Holy Land. Pope Eugenius III was facing considerable difficulties in Rome, where a commune led by Arnold of Brescia was defying him, but despite this on 1 December he issued Quantum Praedecessores, an appeal for a crusade chiefly directed to Louis VII and the French. Quite independently, Louis VII of France (1137-80) seems to have conceived of leading an expedition to the Holy Land, but at his Christmas Court of 1145 his barons proved unwilling. This was not surprising: no ruling monarch had taken the cross and such an event posed great risks for a kingdom in an age of personal monarchy. However, it was agreed to consider the matter again at Easter 1146, and Louis consulted the greatest preacher of the age, St Bernard of Clairvaux. Eugenius approved of Louis’ plans, reissued Quantum Praedecessores, and commissioned St Bernard to preach. At the Easter Court at Vézelay his rhetoric inspired the barons. News of Bernard’s preaching and his message of salvation through participation in the great expedition spread abroad and in northern France a Cistercian preacher, Radulf, enjoyed great success. However, his vicious anti-Semitism forced Bernard to come north to silence him and prevent a repetition of the horrific pogroms of Jews which had characterised the First Crusade. His reception in northern France and Flanders seems to have inspired Bernard to widen his appeal and to send letters to Italy and England. Radulf moved on to Germany, forcing Bernard to follow in October. There he encountered Conrad III (1138-52) who permitted him to recruit in the imperial lands. After further preaching Bernard again confronted Conrad at Speier at the Christmas Court, and on 27 December persuaded him to take the cross.
