10 October 732 A.D. HAMMER STRATEGY: Charles Martel Hammers Islamo-Jihadi-Reprobates at Tours
10 October 732 A.D. HAMMER
STRATEGY: Charles Martel Hammers Islamo-Jihadi-Reprobates at Tours
Hickham, Kennedy. “Muslim Invasions: Battle of Tours.” Military History. N.d. http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/battleswarsto1000/p/tours.htm. Accessed 3 Oct 2014.
Hickham, Kennedy. “Muslim Invasions: Battle of Tours.” Military History. N.d. http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/battleswarsto1000/p/tours.htm. Accessed 3 Oct 2014.
Battle of
Tours - Conflict:
The Battle
of Tours was fought during the Muslim invasions of Western Europe in the 8th
century.
Armies
& Commanders at the Battle of Tours:
Franks
·
20,000-30,000
men
Umayyads
·
Abdul
Rahman Al Ghafiqi
·
unknown,
but perhaps as high as 80,000 men
Battle of
Tours - Date:
Martel's
triumph at the Battle of Tours occurred on October 10, 732.
Battle of
Tours - Background:
In the early
700s, after conquering the Iberian Peninsula, Umayyad forces pushed north into
modern-day France. Initially meeting little resistance, they were able to gain
a foothold and began launching attacks against Aquitaine. At the Battle of
Toulouse in 721, Duke Odo was able defeat the Muslim invaders and forced them
out of his realm. Returning ten years later, Umayyad forces led by the governor
of Al-Andalus, Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, crushed Odo at the Battle of the River
Garonne. Fleeing north, Odo sought aid from the Franks.
Coming
before Charles Martel, the Frankish mayor of the palace, Odo was promised aid
only if he promised to submit to the Franks. Agreeing, Martel began raising his
army to meet the invaders. In the years previous, having assessed the situation
in Iberia and the Umayyad attack on Aquitaine, Charles came to believe that a
professional army, rather than raw conscripts, was needed to defend the realm
from invasion. To raise the money necessary to build and train an army that
could withstand the Muslim horsemen, Charles began seizing Church lands,
earning the ire of the religious community.
Battle of
Tours - Moving to Contact:
Moving to
intercept Abdul Rahman, Charles used secondary roads to avoid detection and
allow him select the battlefield. Marching with approximately 30,000 Frankish
troops he assumed a position between the towns of Tours and Poitiers. For the
battle, Charles selected a high, wooded plain which would force the Umayyad
cavalry to charge uphill through unfavorable terrain. Forming a large square,
his men surprised Abdul Rahman, forcing the Umayyad emir to pause for a week to
consider his options. This delay benefited Charles as it allowed him to summon
more of his veteran infantry to Tours.
Battle of
Tours - The Franks Stand Strong:
On the
seventh day, after gathering all of his forces, Abdul Rahman attacked with his
Berber and Arab cavalry. In one of the few instances where medieval infantry
stood up to cavalry, Charles' troops defeated repeated Umayyad attacks. As the
battle waged, the Umayyads finally broke through the Frankish lines and
attempted to kill Charles. He was promptly surrounded by his personal guard who
repulsed the attack. As this was occurring, scouts that Charles had sent out
earlier were infiltrating the Umayyad camp and freeing prisoners.
Believing
that the plunder of the campaign was being stolen, a large part of the Umayyad
army broke off the battle and raced to protect their camp. While attempting to
stop the apparent retreat, Abdul Rahman was surrounded and killed by Frankish
troops. Briefly pursued by the Franks, the Umayyad withdrawal turned into a
full retreat. Charles reformed his troops expecting another attack, but to his
surprise it never came as the Umayyads continued their retreat all the way to
Iberia.
Battle of
Tours - Aftermath:
While exact
casualties for the Battle of Tours are not known, some chronicles relate that
Christian losses numbered around 1,500 while Abdul Rahman suffered
approximately 10,000. Since Martel's victory, historians have argued over the
battle's significance with some stating that his victory saved Western
Christendom while others feel that its repercussions were minimal. Regardless,
the Frankish victory at Tours, along with subsequent campaigns in 736 and 739,
effectively stopped the advance of Muslim forces from Iberia allowing the
further development of the Christian states in Western Europe.
Selected
Sources
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