Teach Medieval15 Okt 2025

Why did the Second Crusade fail? (Ep.1: Narrative)

Step into one of the most dramatic and disastrous chapters of medieval history with our brand-new two-part podcast series on the Second Crusade. In Episode 1, we plunge into the story itself—from the shocking fall of Edessa in 1144 and the rallying cry across Europe to the march eastward of kings and humiliating defeat at the gates of Damascus. Then, in Episode 2, we go deeper, asking the big question: why did the Second Crusade fail so completely? Was it poor leadership, Byzantine hostility, or the growing unity of Muslim forces? Guiding us through this fascinating mix of ambition, betrayal, and miscalculation is Associate Professor Nicholas Morton of Nottingham Trent University, a leading expert in crusader history. If you want gripping storytelling, sharp analysis and expert insight, this is a series you won’t want to miss. The Second Crusade like you’ve never heard it before!

This episode is part of a mini-series:

Ep.1: Narrative - What's the story of the Second crusade?

ep.2: Analysis - Why did the Second Crusade fail?

Recommended works by Associate Professor Nicholas Morton:

The Field of Blood: The Battle for Aleppo and the Remaking of the Medieval Middle East

The Crusader States and their Neighbours: A military history 1099-1187

Encountering Islam on the First Crusade

The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East

Episoder(46)

'THE FIFTH CRUSADE' w. Thomas Smith (Ep.2: Why did the Fifth Crusade fail?)

In this exciting new double episode of the podcast, I’m delighted to be joined by Dr Thomas Smith to explore the astonishing story of the Fifth Crusade, the subject of his new book, The Fifth Crusade:...

31 Jul 29min

'THE FIFTH CRUSADE' w. Thomas Smith (Ep.1: What were the main events?)

24 Jul 31min

'THE CRUSADER STORM' w. Nicholas Morton (Ep.3: What was the Egyptian perspective?)

This podcast mini-series is inspired by Associate Professor Nicholas Morton’s new book, The Crusader Storm: A Global History of the Wars for the Middle East. Rather than repeating the familiar Western...

3 Jul 24min

'THE CRUSADER STORM' w. Nicholas Morton (Ep.2: What was the Syrian perspective?)

26 Jun 19min

'THE CRUSADER STORM' w. Nicholas Morton (Ep.1: What was the Byzantine perspective?)

19 Jun 21min

Why did the Second Crusade fail? (Ep.2: Analysis)

15 Okt 202529min

What was the early Islamic response to the crusades? (Ep.2: Later unity)

The early Islamic response to the First Crusade was deeply disunited, with rivalry, distrust and self-interest undermining all hope of any real cooperation. This lack of unity was a major factor in th...

10 Okt 202550min