Byzantine trickery made Louis VII cross the straits to Asia

Summary:
Manuel I and his men wished to transport Louis VII and his army over to Asia, but did not dare urge them directly. They therefore reduced the amount of food in the market, though they continued to provide some. They also spread false rumours of German successes: that Conrad and his army had killed 18,000 Turks, had captured Ikonion and written offering to return it to Byzantine hands. Louis' men were envious of the glory and booty the Germans must have acquired, and forced their own king to make the crossing. Manuel swiftly assembled a considerable fleet for the purpose, thus showing the strength of his desire to have the French cross. After waiting for five days on the European side, Louis waited a further five on the Asiatic side, suffering Byzantine treachery. [Rumours of Conrad's success appear at a different point in William of Tyre, when Louis was already in Asia, in the context of treacherous behaviour by guides provided for Conrad by Manuel.] 
Dates:
1147 
treacherous guides given to Conrad III by Manuel I (Anonymi 210)
  • Next morning, the guides were missing, thus confessing their treachery to all; they went off to the French army, which was nearby, telling them that Conrad 53 had been successful; they either wanted to stop them coming to help Conrad, or to save themselves from due punishment for misleading him (:) William of Tyre bk. 16, 21.12-34
Conrad III Hohenstaufen, king of Germany (Conrad 53)
  • Rumours of the progress of his army were used to make the French soldiers envious; the Germans were said to have killed 18,000 Turks, or to have returned Ikonion to Byzantine hands; these false stories made Louis 101 cross the straits to Asia (:) Odo of Deuil 72
Louis VII, king of France (Louis 101)
  • His men made him cross the straits to Asia; they were tricked by reduced rations and Byzantine rumours of great German success, killing 18,000 Turks or returning Ikonion to the emperor; he forgot the late-comers, but crossed on Manuel 1's ships; he spent five days on one side of the straits and five on the other (:) Odo of Deuil 72
Emperor Manuel I Komnenos (Manuel 1)
  • His officials continued the market, but in a limited way; not daring to urge the French to cross to Asia, they spread rumours about the Germans: they had killed 14,000 Turks, or they had reached Ikonion, which was abandoned by its people and returned to the Byzantines; Louis 101's envious men made him cross (:) Odo of Deuil 72
  • His desire to have Louis 101 and his army cross to Asia may be seen by the speed with which he assembled a considerable fleet to transport them; Louis spent five days on the European side of the straits and would spend another five on the Asiatic side, suffering Byzantine treachery (:) Odo of Deuil 72