![Pope Eugenius III presents his pilgrim staff to King Louis VII at the Church of St. Denis. A high-ranking knight holds the Oriflamme, which was the battle standard of French kings.](https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/M-Spr22-Damascus-4-16-9-760x428.jpg)
Second Crusade
Crusader Calamity at Damascus
By William E. WelshThe hot sun beat down on the mud-brick and wooden buildings, the lush orchards, and the patchwork of pastoral fields around the oval-shaped, walled city of Damascus in southern Syria on the morning of July 24, 1148. Read more