9

Despite his amiable reception, Manuel wanted to be rid of his French guests as quickly as possible. He genuinely liked westerners, even if they sometimes attacked his empire. But he could hardly be expected to welcome rapacious troops who terrorized his subjects and upset relations with his Turkish neighbours – relations that depended on a complex and subtly balanced diplomacy. He was therefore pleased to be able to tell Louis that he had just heard of a glorious victory won the emperor Conrad, in which many thousands of Turks had fallen. Anxious to share in his fellow crusader’s triumph, the king left Constantinople after three weeks, no doubt much to Eleanor’s regret. The French army crossed the Bosphorus, camping at Chalcedon before marching on to Nicaea, which they reached in early November.

Frightening news awaited them. Contrary to Manuel’s information, the Germans had suffered a terrible defeat and had been reduced to a tenth of their original strength.


Source:

Seward, Desmond. “The Crusader.” Eleanor of Aquitaine. New York: Times , 1979. 46. Print.


Further Reading:

Μανουήλ Α' Κομνηνός (Manuel I Komnenos)

Louis VII of France / Louis le Jeune (Louis the Younger)

Conrad III of Germany

Κωνσταντινούπολις / Constantinopolis / قسطنطینية (Constantinople)

Aliénor d'Aquitaine / Alienora (Eleanor of Aquitaine)

Βόσπορος / Boğaziçi (Bosphorus or Bosporus)

Χαλκηδών (Chalcedon)

Νίκαια / İznik (Nicaea or Nicea)

Second Crusade

>Despite his amiable reception, [Manuel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Manuel_I_Comnenus.jpg) wanted to be rid of his French guests as quickly as possible. He genuinely liked westerners, even if they sometimes attacked his empire. But he could hardly be expected to welcome rapacious troops who terrorized his subjects and upset relations with his Turkish neighbours – relations that depended on a complex and subtly balanced diplomacy. He was therefore pleased to be able to tell [Louis](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Louis_VII_ristiretki.PNG) that he had just heard of a glorious victory won the emperor [Conrad](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Konrad_III_Miniatur_13_Jahrhundert.jpg), in which many thousands of Turks had fallen. Anxious to share in his fellow crusader’s triumph, the king left Constantinople after three weeks, no doubt much to [Eleanor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Church_of_Fontevraud_Abbey_Eleanor_of_Aquitaine_effigy.jpg)’s regret. The French army crossed the Bosphorus, camping at Chalcedon before marching on to Nicaea, which they reached in early November. >Frightening news awaited them. Contrary to Manuel’s information, the Germans had suffered a terrible defeat and had been reduced to a tenth of their original strength. _______________________________ **Source:** Seward, Desmond. “The Crusader.” *Eleanor of Aquitaine*. New York: Times , 1979. 46. Print. _______________________________ **Further Reading:** [Μανουήλ Α' Κομνηνός (Manuel I Komnenos)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_I_Komnenos) [Louis VII of France / Louis le Jeune (Louis the Younger)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_VII_of_France) [Conrad III of Germany](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrad_III_of_Germany) [Κωνσταντινούπολις / Constantinopolis / قسطنطینية (Constantinople)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantinople) [Aliénor d'Aquitaine / Alienora (Eleanor of Aquitaine)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine) [Βόσπορος / Boğaziçi (Bosphorus or Bosporus)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosphorus) [Χαλκηδών (Chalcedon)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalcedon) [Νίκαια / İznik (Nicaea or Nicea)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaea) [Second Crusade](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Crusade)

2 comments