Council of Acre

Background

In spring 1148 both Conrad and Louis reached Jerusalem. Recovering Edessa was unrealistic with the forces left after the losses in Anatolia. Louis had rejected the campaign against Aleppo proposed by Prince Raymond of Antioch. Damascus, under Mu'in al-Din Unur, was a city that at times cooperated with Jerusalem against Nur al-Din.

The meeting and the decision

According to William of Tyre, the meeting was attended by the two kings, King Baldwin III of Jerusalem, Queen Melisende, the patriarch, the masters of the military orders and the barons of the kingdom. No representatives came from Antioch, Tripoli or Edessa.

After long debate it was decided to besiege Damascus. Its proximity to Jerusalem, its wealth and its religious prestige made Damascus an attractive target for the Western rulers. Reasons behind the decision also include concern that Damascus was drawing closer to Nur al-Din and the tension over Bosra in 1147.

Outcome and significance

The decision meant abandoning Edessa, the declared reason for the crusade, entirely. The attack on Damascus increased the city's distrust of Jerusalem and prepared the conditions that made it easier for Nur al-Din to take Damascus in 1154. The Palmarea decision is therefore seen as the most debated strategic choice of the Second Crusade.

Sources and debates

The only detailed account of the meeting is by William of Tyre, writing some thirty years later. Who proposed the decision, and whether Damascus was really drawing closer to Nur al-Din, are debated; some scholars argue that it was a reasonable choice in the circumstances of the day.