What was the battle of tours. Battle Report: Battle of Tours — The History Corner 2022-11-07

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The Battle of Tours, also known as the Battle of Poitiers, was fought in 732 between the Frankish and Gallic forces of Charles Martel and the invading Muslim army of Emir Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi. The battle took place near the city of Tours in modern-day France, and was a crucial turning point in the history of Europe.

At the time, much of the Iberian Peninsula and parts of southern France were under Muslim control, and the Muslim armies had begun to push northward into Europe. In 732, they crossed the Pyrenees and advanced into Gaul, where they encountered the Frankish army led by Charles Martel.

The two sides clashed at the Battle of Tours, and after a brutal and bloody fight, the Frankish army emerged victorious. The Muslim army was decisively defeated, and their advance into Europe was stopped.

There are several factors that contributed to the Frankish victory at the Battle of Tours. One of the main reasons was that the Frankish army was well-trained and organized, while the Muslim army was not. The Frankish soldiers were skilled in hand-to-hand combat and had effective tactics, while the Muslim army was more reliant on cavalry.

Additionally, the Frankish army had a strong advantage in terms of weapons and armor. They had iron swords and shields, while the Muslim army primarily used bronze weapons. The Frankish armor was also more effective at protecting against the Muslim's weapons.

The Battle of Tours was a significant event in European history, as it marked the first major defeat of a Muslim army in Europe. It also stopped the spread of Islam into Europe and helped to establish the Frankish kingdom as a major power in Europe.

The legacy of the Battle of Tours is still felt today, as it is often cited as a key moment in the history of Europe and the struggle between Christianity and Islam. It is remembered as a victory for European civilization and a turning point in the history of the continent.

The Battle of Tours timeline

what was the battle of tours

Then came against them the glorious Prince Charles, at the head of his whole force. They also appear to have had a greater variety of weaponry: the shield was ubiquitous, and arms consisted of swords, daggers, javelins, and two kinds of axes, one for wielding and the other for throwing—the francisca. Prior to this, the Islamic conquerors had for one century been subjugating all peoples and territories standing in their western march—including Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. Safety Harbor, Florida: Simon Publications. When Was the Battle of Tours? St Augustine himself was no warmonger, but he recognized the reality of world full of sin. They made repeated inroads into Gaul and even occupied the southeast of the region. The old drums-and-bugles approach will no longer do.

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Battle of Tours

what was the battle of tours

He understood that war, whilst abhorrent in itself, could be considered just under some circumstances. Yet boys and men are still almost invariably fascinated by violence. Charles Martel picked a spot off of the main Roman road that the Umayyad army used to get around, planted his army there, and waited. The Battle of Tours was a defining moment in global history. Either we conquer and establish ourselves here, or we perish. Another theory places the conflict in the little town of Moussais-la-Bataille, inside the commune of Vouneuil-sur-Vienne, about 25 kilometers from Poitiers. The Battle of Tours Background Okay, this is getting pretty heavy; so let's back up a minute.

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Battle Report: Battle of Tours — The History Corner

what was the battle of tours

This authority enabled him to create the dynasty through which his descendant, Charlemagne, united much of Europe. However, it took time for Charles to consolidate control and some regions like Aquitaine in the south tried to claim independence. Both armies used infantry, though Umayyad forces relied more on mounted cavalry and were thought to hold a slight advantage through the use of the stirrup, which the Mohawk Games Copyright Surviving accounts of the battle are a little confused, though Frankish forces eventually came out victorious. Then, in 711, the Umayyad did something incredible: they invaded the Catholic kingdoms of Iberia, which today are the countries of Spain and Portugal. After days of fighting, Abdul Rahman was killed and the Umayyad army retreated. Charles continued to be Mayor of the Palace which meant he held the real power in the Frankish Kingdom. It may well have broken too, were it not for a couple of key victories which, so far as historians are concerned, saved Christianity from extinction.

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What Was the Significance of the Battle of Tours?

what was the battle of tours

There was a retreat by the Arabs toward Narbonne. Southern France was a part of the Visigoth territories and forays into France were an extension of the campaign against the Visigoths. Charles Martel picked a spot off of the main Roman road that the Umayyad army used to get around, planted his army there, and waited. Charles fought eleven major campaigns from 715-731, gaining valuable experience, prestige, and allies that could be called upon when needed. . Despite some small line breaks, the Muslims were no match for the highly experienced Frankish infantry. The two sides were ready to face their common enemy.

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The Battle of Tours, 732

what was the battle of tours

The Franks with misgivings lowered their blades, and beholding the numberless tents of the Arabs, prepared themselves for another battle the next day. The term barbaric means these tribes did not have a higher culture. The Umayyad Caliphate at its greatest extent The Battle As the Islamic armies easily captured southern Gaul, the Kingdom of the Franks in the north was starting to worry. The other key effect of the Battle of Tours was Charles Martel's rise to power. The de facto ruler of the Franks, was a duke and manager of the king's affairs called Mayor of the Palace, Charles Martel. The successful campaign of Iberia brought Islam into traditionally-Catholic Europe. The Catholic kings and Popes of the time naturally saw this as a major threat to their existence.

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Battle of Tours: End of the Arab Invasion of Europe

what was the battle of tours

What we do know is that Martel's army was the last true Christian army in Europe standing between the Umayyad Caliphate and Rome. Neither side wanted to attack. Factors such as economics, logistics, intelligence, and technology receive the attention once accorded solely to battles and campaigns and casualty counts. It was the tour of Islamic armies across Southern Europe, a tour which was halted, appropriately enough at the Battle of Tours in 732. When the Umayyad cavalry caught wind of this, a significant chunk of them returned to the army camp to try and protect their loot and their women, as it was said that some of the Umayyad soldiers brought their wives. Charles Martel turned back a Muslim raid that had it been allowed to continue, might have conquered Gaul.


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Battle of Tours 732 History

what was the battle of tours

What is sure, however, is that his victory ensured that the Franks would dominate Gaul for more than a century. The chroniclers give amazing numbers concerning the Muslims, as many as 300,000. Debate Over the Battle Traditionally, the battle was viewed as a major movement that ended North Africa's advance into Europe. Eventually, he would conquer other Frankish kingdoms and unify the Franks under one rule. It sent me hurtling back a couple meters into a tree behind me. The next day, the Franks reorganized their phalanx, only to find the Umayyads nowhere to be found! In Cowley, Robert; Parker, Geoffrey eds. Like a bunch of grown ups telling kids to ignore the bully.

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Today in History: The Battle of Tours

what was the battle of tours

It was left to Eudes and his remaining troops to chase the Umayyads back across his lands and over the Pyrenees while Charles simply turned his forces around and marched back north. Invention and hardware work are beyond the Muslim understanding. By the 720s, the Islamic armies were marching into modern-day western France. The Muslim warlord, Abd al-Rahman, defeated the Aquitanian ruler Eudes Odo , who fled north and asked for help from Charles Martel. The Latin West stopped the Muslims and embarked on a counter offensive of its own. Abd Al-Fattah Muqallid Al-Ghunaymi, published in Alam Alkotob, Cairo, Egypt.

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The Battle of Tours

what was the battle of tours

His mother was Alpaida, a noblewoman. What was the outcome of the Battle of Tours? Have you ever been bullied like this before? He also tricked the Muslim leader into thinking he would send troops to recover some of the stolen loot when the Muslims sacked Bordeaux and used that opportunity to annihilate the Muslim forces. It is essential, however, to note that within the first group, those who agree the Battle was of macrohistorical importance, there are a number of historians who take a more moderate and nuanced view of the significance of the battle, in contrast to the more dramatic and rhetorical approach of Gibbon. Edward Gibbons, an 18th-century historian, and his contemporaries determined that the Battle of Tours was the high point of Muslim invasion to conquer European lands. The Battle of Tours When you think of the Tour de France, you might imagine bicycles and yellow jerseys. Images on this site are copyright to their respectful owners. This is unquestionably the 25th of October, 732, a Saturday.

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