Today in History: The Battle of Tours 10/10/732 [Charles Martel C in C]

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[yankeedame]

The Battle of Tours

Charles de Steuben's Battaile de Poitiers en Octobre
732 depicts a triumphant Charles Martel (mounted)
facing Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi (right) at the Battle of Tours.

Date: October 10, 732
Location: near Tours, France
Result: Decisive Frankish victory

Combatants
Carolingian Franks v. Umayyad Caliphate

Commanders
Charles Martel v.Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi Abd er Rahman

Strength
15,000-75,000 v. 60,000-400,000

Casualties
about 1500 reported in western history, but probably far heavier unknown, but reported massive,
notably Emir Abd er Rahman.

The Battle of Tours (October 10, 732), often called Battle of Poitiers and also called in Arabic بلاط الشهداء (Balâṭ al-Shuhadâ’) The Court of Martyrs was fought near the city of Tours, France, by Frankish forces under Austrasian Mayor of the Palace Charles Martel and a massive invading Muslim army led by Emir ‘Abd-al-Raḥmān al-Ghāfiqī, Governor-general of al-Andalus. The Franks defeated the Umayyad Caliphate army and Emir ‘Abd-al-Raḥmân was killed.

Charles earned the nickname Martel ("The Hammer") for the merciless way he hammered his opponents during this victory, and went on to repulse later Muslim invasions, driving Muslim forces back to the port of Narbonne. Edward Gibbon said of the Muslim invasions and Charles Martel "in the public danger, he was summoned by the voice of his country."

The battle followed twenty years of Muslim conquests in Europe, beginning with the invasion of the Visigoth Christian Kingdoms of the Iberian peninsula in 711 and progressing into the Frankish territories of Gaul, former provinces of the Roman Empire.

Muslim military campaigns had reached northward into Aquitaine and Burgundy, including a major battle at Bordeaux and a raid on Autun.

Martel's victory is believed by many historians to have stopped the northward advance of Muslims from the Iberian peninsula, and is therefore also considered of macrohistorical importance in that it halted the Muslim conquests and preserved Christianity as the controlling faith in Europe during a period when Muslim rule was overrunning the remains of the old Roman and Persian Empires.

Despite the great importance of this battle, its exact location remains unknown. Surviving contemporary sources, both Western and Muslim, agree on certain details while disputing others. Most historians assume that the two armies met where the rivers Clain and Vienne join between Tours and Poitiers.

Varied estimates of the Frankish army defending Gaul suggest Martel commanded between 15,000 and 75,000 infantry in the first western standing army since the fall of Rome. They had been trained to fight in phalanxes in order to face the dreaded Muslim heavy cavalry.

Between 60,000 and 400,000 men, mostly Berber lighthorse cavalry supplemented by Muslim heavy cavalry were under Abd er Rahman, often fractured into raiding parties to plunder various Frankish centers. According to Arab accounts, in the six days before the battle, Abd er Rahman recalled his forces so they were all present for the battle.

By both western and Arab historical accounts, the Muslim forces probably outnumbered the Franks significantly at the onset of the Battle, but how far is unknown. Losses during the battle are unknown; according to St. Denis Martel's force lost about 1,500,; which was probably greatly understated; the Muslim force reportedly suffered massive casualties, including the loss of their commander Abd er Rahman.

[My2Cents]

The Muslims are still acting like it's 732.

[the invisib1e hand]

crusade bump.

[Clemenza]

Ping!

[SittinYonder]

30% of the under-20 population of modern France is Muslim. The French could use a Martel right about now.

[east1234]

Are you implying the french won a battle? I find this VERY difficult to believe.

[Young Werther]

Let's not forget that Lance Armstong his Tours victory is pure American

[ml/nj]

In 732 at the Battle of Tours, Charles Martel defeated the Moors.

ML/NJ

[Young Werther]

Was he boorish to the Moorish multitude?

[yankeedame]

Are you implying the french won a battle? I find this VERY difficult to believe.

Well, they say the Lord moves in mysterious ways.

[I_Like_Spam]

President Bush is a direct descendent of Charles Martel.

And like his great-great-.....-great-grandpappy, he is called to lead a disorganized Western civilization to defeat this enemy again.

[BenLurkin]

Westerners should wear white and red and march in the streets.

[ClaireSolt]

Both the French and Germans consider Charlemagne the father of their countries. Sometimes, I wonder how history is taught in Europe, now, because the Battle of Tours has always been considered a real turning point our contemporaries seem to have forgotten.

[SunkenCiv]

Hammer time ping.

[Pharmboy]

One of my all-time favorite historical figures. The Hammer rulz...

[wagglebee]

BTTT!

Great Post!

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Are you implying the french won a battle?

Actually the French did not yet exist in 732. Most of the population in what is now France spoke Vulgate Latin, rather like Church Latin, with a Gallic (Celtic) accent and loan words. The Germanic over-class in France, and the entire population of Germany, spoke the Frankish or other German dialects, with a greater or lesser number of Latin loan words, depending on location.

[SunkenCiv]

The only bad thing was that he stopped slaying 'em.

[SunkenCiv]

often called Battle of Poitiers and also called in Arabic... The Court of Martyrs

Hey, on behalf of civilization, glad to be there for all those martyrs. Couple hundred million more should do it -- but only if you insist.

[george76]

The history of Western Europe would undeniably be very different had the Frankish army been defeated in 732.

Like the victory of Constantinople some fifteen years earlier, Muslim advances had finally been thwarted, and the steady Reconquista of Spain and parts of Byzantine Empire began apace...

Though the Byzantines finally succumbed by 1453, the Turks were eventually defeated in the great naval battle at Lepanto in 1571, and turned away from Vienna in 1683.

The threat of the Caliphate encroaching on Western Europe never penetrated as far west again--until today, as unassimilated Muslim immigrants threaten to "behead those who insult Islam" and foment rage at every perceived slight.

http://slapstickpolitics.blogspot.com/2006/10/charles-martel-and-battle-of-tours.html#links