The early decades of the Latin East c. 1097–c. 1152: Establishment and consolidation

The period 1097 to late 1144 was, in general, a successful time for the Franks. They consolidated the achievements of the First Crusade and founded four fully viable Latin States, although the loss of Edessa to Zengi in December 1144 was a most serious setback. Two particular features stand out when reading contemporary narratives of this time. First, the huge energy and effort required to establish the Frankish hold on the Holy Land is immediately apparent. The need for almost ceaseless campaigning – against a series of enemies – and exhausting marches and counter-marches is striking; the energy of King Baldwin II is especially worthy of note. Secondly, there were only four appeals to the West for crusades (1101, 1106-8, 1120-24, 1127-29) compared to at least fifteen for the period 1149 to 1186. This emphasises the Franks’ strength in this first phase of settlement and also reflects the relative weakness of their enemies.