29 ° Bisabuelo/ Great Grandfather de: Carlos Juan Felipe Antonio Vicente De La Cruz Urdaneta Alamo →Charles Martel is your 29th great grandfather.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Linea Materna)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charles Martel is your 29th great grandfather.of→ Carlos Juan Felipe Antonio Vicente De La Cruz Urdaneta Alamo→ Morella Álamo Borges
your mother → Belén Eloina Borges Ustáriz
her mother → Belén de Jesús Ustáriz Lecuna
her mother → Miguel María Ramón de Jesús Uztáriz y Monserrate
her father → María de Guía de Jesús de Monserrate é Ibarra
his mother → Teniente Coronel Manuel José de Monserrate y Urbina
her father → Antonieta Felicita Javiera Ignacia de Urbina y Hurtado de Mendoza
his mother → Isabel Manuela Josefa Hurtado de Mendoza y Rojas Manrique
her mother → Juana de Rojas Manrique de Mendoza
her mother → Constanza de Mendoza Mate de Luna
her mother → Mayor de Mendoza Manzanedo
her mother → Juan Fernández De Mendoza Y Manuel
her father → Sancha Manuel
his mother → Sancho Manuel de Villena Castañeda, señor del Infantado y Carrión de los Céspedes
her father → Manuel de Castilla, señor de Escalona
his father → Elizabeth of Swabia
his mother → Philipp von Schwaben
her father → Friedrich I Barbarossa, Holy Roman Emperor
his father → Judith of Bavaria
his mother → Henry IX the black, duke of Bavaria
her father → Judith of Flanders
his mother → Baldwin IV the Bearded, count of Flanders
her father → Rozala of Italy
his mother → Berengar II of Ivrea, king of Italy
her father → Gisela of Friuli
his mother → Berengar I, emperor of the Romans
her father → Giséle of Cysoing
his mother → Louis I, The Pious
her father → Charlemagne
his father → Pépin III, King of the Franks
his father → Charles Martel
his father
Carlos "El Martillo" Martel fue el rey de facto de los francos de 737-741 (oficialmente era duque y príncipe de los francos). También fue conocido como un gran general, y es más famoso por su victoria en la Batalla de Tours, en la que derrotó a un ejército musulmán invasor y detuvo la expansión islámica hacia el norte en Europa occidental.
Por favor, agregue a Discusión si desea cambiar los campos de nomenclatura bloqueados.
Martel era el hijo de Pipino II y su concubina, Alpaida.
Alrededor de 670, Pipino se había casado con Plectrude, que había heredado propiedades sustanciales en la región de Mosela. Fue la madre de Drogo de Champaña y Grimoaldo, quienes murieron antes que su padre. Sin embargo, Pipino también tuvo una amante llamada Alpaida (o Chalpaida) que le dio dos hijos más: Carlos y Childebrando. Carlos se había ganado el favor de los austrasianos, principalmente por su destreza militar y su capacidad para mantenerlos bien provistos de botín de sus conquistas. A pesar de los esfuerzos de Plectrude para silenciar al hijo de su rival encarcelándolo, se convirtió en el único alcalde del palacio --y gobernante de facto de Francia- después de una guerra civil que duró más de tres años después de la muerte de Pipino.
Martel también fue abuelo de Carlomagno.
Charles Martel se casó dos veces:
Su primera esposa fue Rotrudis de Treves, (690-724) (hija de San Leutwinus, obispo de Treves). Tuvieron los siguientes hijos:
- Hiltrud (m. 754), casada con Odilo I, duque de Baviera
- Carlomán
- Landrade (Landres), casada con Sigrand, conde de Hesbania
- Auda, Aldana o Alane, casada con Thierry IV, conde de Autun y Toulouse
- Pippin el Corto
Su segunda esposa fue Swanhild. Tuvieron el siguiente hijo:
* Grifo
Charles Martel también tuvo una amante, Ruodhaid. Tuvieron los siguientes hijos:
* Bernard (b. before 732-787)
* Hieronymus * Remigius
, arzobispo de Rouen (m. 771) * Ian (m. 783)
Notas o fuente:
La ascendencia paterna de Homer Beers James
http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/f/o/n/Emmett-W-Fontaine/GENE20...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Martel
Maire du Palais D'Austrasie, Duque de Francos
Carlos Martel (*Heristal, Bélgica, 23 de agosto de 686 – 22 de octubre de 741) fue Mayordomo de palacio del reino de Austrasia desde el año 715 hasta su muerte. Era hijo no matrimonial de Pipino de Heristal (llamado el Joven o Pipino II) y de su concubina Alpaïde de Bruyères.
CHARLES MARTEL
[O.Fr.,=Carlos el Martillo], 688?–741, gobernante franco, hijo ilegítimo de Pipino de Heristal y abuelo de Carlomagno. Después de la muerte de su padre (714) tomó el poder en Austrasia de la viuda de Pipino, que gobernaba como regente de sus nietos, y se convirtió en alcalde del palacio. Posteriormente sometió el reino franco W de Neustria y comenzó la reconquista de Borgoña, Aquitania y Provenza. Carlos Martel derrotó a los musulmanes españoles en la batalla de Tours (732-33) y comenzó las campañas militares que restablecieron a los francos como gobernantes de la Galia. Aunque nunca asumió el título de rey, dividió las tierras francas, como un rey, entre sus hijos Pipino el Breve y Carlomán.
Véase F. Lot, The End of the Ancient World and the Beginnings of the Middle Ages (1927, tr. 1961); E. James, Los orígenes de Francia: Clodoveo y los Capetos, 500-1000 d.C. (1982).
____________________
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright© 2004, Columbia University Press. Con licencia de Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V. Todos los derechos reservados.
Charles "El Martillo" Martel (, ) (ca. 688688
Eventos...
– 22 October 741 Summary
Lo sentimos, no hay información general sobre este tema
) fue proclamado alcalde de palacio y gobernó a los francos en nombre de un rey titular. Al final de su reinado se proclamó duque de los francos.
El título dux et princeps Francorum, o duque y príncipe de los francos, fue el título adoptado por Pipino de Heristal ...
(the last four years of his reign he did not even bother with the façade of a King) and by any name was de facto ruler of the Frankish Realms. In 739739
Eventos...
he was offered an office of Roman consulRoman consul
Cónsul era el cargo político electo más alto de la República Romana y el Imperio.
by the Pope, which he rejected possibly not to conflict with Theodatus Ursus who already occupied the office by appointment of the Byzantine emperor Leo III the IsaurianLeo III the Isaurian
León III el Isaurio o el Sirio, fue emperador bizantino desde 717 hasta su muerte en 741.
. Expandió su gobierno sobre los tres francos francos.
Los francos o el pueblo franco eran una de varias federaciones germánicas occidentales.
kingdoms: Austrasia
Austrasia formó la parte noreste del Reino de los Francos merovingios, que comprende partes del territorio de pr...
Neustria
El territorio de Neustria se originó en 511, formado por las regiones desde Aquitania hasta el Canal de la Mancha, aproximando mos...
and BurgundyFacts About Burgundy
Borgoña es una región histórica de Francia, habitada a su vez por pueblos preindoeuropeos, celtas, romanos y varios alemanes...
. Martel nació en Herstal
Herstal es un municipio situado en la provincia belga de Lige....
, en la actual BélgicaBélgica
El Reino de Bélgica es un país del noroeste de Europa que limita con los Países Bajos, Alemania, Luxemburgo y Francia y...
, el hijo ilegítimo de Pipino el MedioPipino de Herstal
Pipino de Herstal, también conocido como Pipino el Medio, Pipino el Joven, o Pipino II, era el nieto ...
and his concubine Alpaida
Alpaida también era conocida como Chalpaida....
(or Chalpaida). He was described by Louis Gustave and Charles Strauss in their book "Moslem and Frank; or, Charles Martel and the rescue of Europe" as a tall, powerfully built man, who was more agile than his size would lead men to believe.
Es mejor recordado por ganar la Batalla de Tours.
La Batalla de Tours, a menudo llamada Batalla de Poitiers y también llamada en árabe La Corte de los Mártires se libró n...
in 732732
732 es también un código de área en el estado de Nueva Jersey....
, que tradicionalmente se ha caracterizado como un evento que detuvo el expansionismo islámico en EuropaEuropa Visión general
Europa es uno de los siete continentes tradicionales de la Tierra.
that had conquered IberiaIberian Peninsula
La Península Ibérica, o Iberia, se encuentra en el extremo suroeste de Europa....
. "La victoria de Carlos a menudo se ha considerado decisiva para la historia mundial, ya que preservó a Europa occidental de la conquista musulmana y la islamización".
Además de ser el líder del ejército que prevaleció en Tours, Carlos Martel fue una figura verdaderamente gigante de la Edad Media.
La Edad Media formó el período medio en una división esquemática tradicional de la historia europea en tres "edades": la clas...
. Un general brillante, es considerado el antepasado de la caballería pesada occidentalCaballería pesada
Heavy cavalry refers to heavily armed and armoured mounted troops, as opposed to light cavalry, in which the riders are rela...
, chivalryChivalry
Chivalry refers to the medieval institution of knighthood and, most especially, the ideals that were associated with it....
, founder of the Carolingian EmpireFacts About Carolingian Empire
The term Carolingian Empire is sometimes used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the dynasty of the Carolingians....
(which was named after him), and a catalyst for the feudal systemFeudalism
Feudalism refers to a general set of reciprocal legal and military obligations among the warrior nobility of Europe during t...
, which would see Europe through the Middle Ages. Although some recent scholars have suggested he was more of a beneficiary of the feudal system than a knowing agent for social change, others continue to see him as the primary catalyst for the feudal systemFeudalism Summary
Feudalism refers to a general set of reciprocal legal and military obligations among the warrior nobility of Europe during t...
.
Birth and Youth
The following tale is told of Charles, and the origins of his name: in 686, Pippin II and his wife Plectrude were talking together in a room when they were intruded upon by a messenger, bringing news that the Mayor's mistress, Alpaida
Alpaida was also known as Chalpaida....
, had given birth to a son at Herstal.The messenger, fearful of arousing the wrath of Plectrude, decided not to announce the news directly. Instead, he said: "Long live the king, it is a carl" ('man'). Pippin, equally cautious of his wife, dismissed the messenger as follows: "A carl, is it? Then let him be called that." This was done, and, so legend claims, the child was named "Carl". Alpaida also bore Pippin another son, Childebrand.
Contesting for power
In December 714, Pippin the Middle died. Prior to his death, he had, at his wife Plectrude
Plectrude or Plectrudis was the wife of Pepin of Heristal, the mayor of the palace and duke of the Franks, from about ...
's urging, designated Theudoald
Theudoald or Theodald was the mayor of the palace, briefly unopposed in 714 until Ragenfrid was acclaimed in Neustria ...
, his grandson by their son Grimoald, his heir in the entire realm. This was immediately opposed by the nobles because Theudoald was a child of only eight years of age. To prevent Charles using this unrest to his own advantage, Plectrude had him gaoled (jailed) in CologneCologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, and is the largest city both in the German Feder...
, la ciudad que estaba destinada a ser su capital. Esto evitó un levantamiento en su nombre en Austrasia.
Austrasia formó la parte noreste del Reino de los Francos merovingios, que comprende partes del territorio de pr...
, pero no en Neustria
El territorio de Neustria se originó en 511, formado por las regiones desde Aquitania hasta el Canal de la Mancha, aproximando mos...
.
Guerra civil de 715-718
En 715715
Eventos...
, la nobleza neustriana proclamó Ragenfrid
Ragenfrid fue el alcalde del palacio de Neustria y Borgoña desde 715, cuando llenó el vacío en Neustria causado por...
mayor of their palace on behalf of, and apparently with the support of, Dagobert III
Dagoberto III fue el rey merovingio de los francos.
, el joven rey, que en teoría tenía la autoridad legal para seleccionar un alcalde, aunque en este momento el merovingio merovingio
Los merovingios fueron una dinastía de reyes francos que gobernaron un área frecuentemente fluctuante en partes de la actual Francia y...
dynasty had lost most such powers.
Los austrasianos no debían quedarse apoyando a una mujer y a su hijo pequeño por mucho tiempo. Antes de fin de año, Carlos Martel había escapado de la cárcel y había sido aclamado alcalde por los nobles de ese reino. Los neustrianos habían estado atacando Austrasia y los nobles esperaban que un hombre fuerte los guiara contra sus compatriotas invasores. Ese año, Dagoberto murió y los neustrianos proclamaron Chilperico IIChilperico II.
Chilperico II, nacido Daniel, el hijo menor de Childerico II, fue rey de Neustria desde 715 y único rey de los francos...
king without the support of the rest of the Frankish people.
En 716716
Para el código de área, véase el código de área 716 ...
, Chilperico y Ragenfrid juntos condujeron un ejército en Austrasia. Los neustrios se aliaron con otra fuerza invasora bajo Radbod, rey de los frisonesRadbod, rey de los frisones.
Radbod fue duque de Frisia de 680 a 719.
and met Charles in battle near Cologne, which was still held by Plectrude. Charles had little time to gather men, or prepare, and the result was his only defeat. According to Strauss and Gustave, Martel fought a brilliant battle, but realized he could not prevail because he was outnumbered so badly, and retreated. In fact, he fled the field as soon as he realized he did not have the time or the men to prevail, retreating to the mountains of the EifelFacts About Eifel
El Eifel es una región montañosa en Alemania....
to gather men, and train them. The king and his mayor then turned to besiege their other rival in the city and took it and the treasury, and received the recognition of both Chilperic as king and Ragenfrid as mayor. Plectrude surrendered on Theudoald's behalf.
Magnánimo en la victoria
En esta coyuntura, sin embargo, los acontecimientos se volvieron a favor de Carlos. Habiendo hecho los preparativos adecuados, cayó sobre el ejército triunfante cerca de Malmedy.
Malmedy es un municipio situado en la provincia belga de Lige....
as it was returning to its own province, and, in the ensuing Battle of AmblèveBattle of Amblève
La batalla de Amblève tuvo lugar en 716 cerca de Amel.
, lo derrotó y huyó. Varias cosas fueron notables acerca de esta batalla, en la que Carlos estableció el patrón para el resto de su carrera militar: primero, apareció donde sus enemigos menos lo esperaban, mientras marchaban triunfalmente a casa y lo superaban en número. También atacó cuando menos se esperaba, al mediodía, cuando los ejércitos de esa época tradicionalmente descansaban. Finalmente, los atacó como menos lo esperaban, fingiendo una retirada para atraer a sus oponentes a una trampa. La retirada fingida, casi desconocida en Europa occidental en ese momento -era una táctica tradicionalmente oriental- requería una disciplina extraordinaria por parte de las tropas y un momento exacto por parte de su comandante. Carlos, en esta batalla, había comenzado a demostrar el genio militar que marcaría su gobierno, en el sentido de que nunca atacó a sus enemigos dónde, cuándo o como esperaban, y el resultado fue una racha de victorias ininterrumpida que duró hasta su muerte.
En primavera 717717
Eventos* 21 de marzo - Batalla de Vincy entre Charles Martel y Ragenfrid....
, Carlos regresó a Neustria con un ejército y confirmó su supremacía con una victoria en la batalla de Vincy.
La batalla de Vincy se libró en Vincy, cerca de Cambrai, en el moderno apartamento de Aisne.
, cerca de Cambrai
Cambrai también escrito Cambray es una ciudad y comuna francesa, en el departamento Nord, del cual es un sous-prfectu...
. Persiguió al rey y al alcalde que huían a ParísParís.
native_name = Ville de Paris|common_name = París...
, antes de volver a tratar con Plectrude y Colonia. Tomó su ciudad y dispersó a sus adherentes. Sin embargo, permitió que tanto Plectrude como el joven Theudoald vivieran y los trató con amabilidad, algo inusual para aquellos de la Edad Media.
En la historiografía, la frase la Edad Media es más comúnmente conocida en relación con la Alta Edad Media europea.
, cuando la misericordia a un ex carcelero, o un rival potencial, era rara. Sobre este éxito, proclamó Clotario IV.
Clotario IV, rey de Austrasia, fue instalado por el alcalde del palacio, Carlos Martel, como aliado durante la guerra civil.
king of AustrasiaAustrasia Summary
Austrasia formó la parte noreste del Reino de los Francos merovingios, que comprende partes del territorio de pr...
in opposition to Chilperic and deposed the archbishop of Rheims, Rigobert, replacing him with Milo, a lifelong supporter.
Consolidación del poder
Después de subyugar a toda Austrasia, marchó contra Radbod y lo empujó de vuelta a su territorio, incluso forzando la concesión de Frisia Occidental (más tarde HollandHolland
Holanda es una región en la parte centro-occidental de los Países Bajos....
). También envió el SaxonsSaxons Summary
Los sajones o sajones forman parte del pueblo alemán con sus principales áreas de asentamiento en los Estados alemanes de S...
back over the Weser and thus secured his borders—in the name of the new king Clotaire, of course.
En 718718 resumen
Eventos...
, Chilperico respondió a la nueva ascendencia de Carlos haciendo una alianza con Odón el Grande (o Eudes, como se le conoce a veces), el duque de AquitaniaDatos sobre el duque de Aquitania.
Las personas que ostentaban el título de Duque de Aquitania ...
, que se había independizado durante la guerra civil en 715, pero fue nuevamente derrotado, en la batalla de SoissonsBatalla de Soissons (718)
La batalla de Soissons de 718 fue la última de las grandes batallas campales de la guerra civil entre los herederos de Pipino de Heris...
, por Charles. El rey huyó con su aliado ducal a la tierra al sur del LoiraLoira.
Véase también Valle del Loira.Loira es un apartamento en la parte centro-oriental de Francia que ocupa la parte superior del río Loira.
and Ragenfrid fled to AngersAngers Overview
Angers es una ciudad en Francia en el departamento de Maine-et-Loire, 191 millas al suroeste de París....
. Pronto murió Clotario IV y Odón renunció a Chilperico y, a cambio de reconocer su ducado, entregó el rey a Carlos, quien reconoció su realeza sobre todos los francos a cambio de la legítima afirmación real de su alcaldía, así como sobre todos los reinos (718).
Foreign wars from 718-732
The ensuing years were full of strife. Between 718 and 723, Charles secured his power through a series of victories: he won the loyalty of several important bishops and abbots (by donating lands and money for the foundation of abbeys such as Echternach
Echternach is a commune with city status in the canton of Echternach, which is part of the district of Grevenmacher, in east...
), he subjugated BavariaBavaria
The Free State of Bavaria , with an area of 70,553 km and 12.4 million inhabitants, forms the southernmost state...
and Alemannia, and he defeated the pagan SaxonsSaxons
The Saxons or Saxon people are part of the German people with its main areas of settlements in the German States of S...
.
Having unified the Franks under his banner, Charles was determined to punish the Saxons who had invaded Austrasia. Therefore, late in 718, he laid waste their country to the banks of the Weser, the LippeLippe
ame=Lippe|state=North Rhine-Westphalia|...
, and the RuhrFacts About Ruhr
The Ruhr is a medium-size river in western Germany having its source at an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet near the to...
. He defeated them in the Teutoburg ForestTeutoburg Forest
The Teutoburg Forest is a range of low, forested mountains in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, ...
. In 719719
Events...
, Charles seized West Frisia without any great resistance on the part of the FrisiansFrisians
The Frisians are an ethnic group of northwestern Europe, inhabiting an area known as Frisia. ...
, who had been subjects of the Franks but had seized control upon the death of Pippin. Although Charles did not trust the pagans, their ruler, Aldegisel, accepted Christianity, and Charles sent Willibrord
Saint Willibrord was a Northumbrian missionary, known as the Apostle to the Frisians in modern Netherlands....
, obispo de Utrecht, el famoso "Apóstol de los frisones" para convertir al pueblo. Carlos también hizo mucho para apoyar a Winfrid, más tarde San BonifacioDatos sobre San Bonifacio
San Bonifacio, el apóstol de los alemanes, nacido Winfrid o Wynfrith en Crediton en Devon, Inglaterra, fue un...
, el "Apóstol de los alemanes".
Cuando Chilperico II murió al año siguiente, Carlos nombró como su sucesor al hijo de Dagoberto III, Teodorico IV.
Teodorico IV fue el rey merovingio de los francos desde 721 hasta su muerte en 737.
, que todavía era menor de edad, y que ocupó el trono de 720 a 737. Carlos ahora estaba nombrando a los reyes a quienes supuestamente servía, rois fainéants que eran meras marionetas en sus manos; Al final de su reinado eran tan inútiles que ni siquiera se molestó en nombrar uno. En este momento, Carlos marchó de nuevo contra los sajones. Entonces los neustrianos se rebelaron bajo Ragenfrid, que había quedado en el condado de Anjou. Fueron derrotados fácilmente, pero Ragenfrid entregó a sus hijos como rehenes a su vez por mantener su condado. Esto puso fin a las guerras civiles del reinado de Carlos.
Los siguientes seis años se dedicaron en su totalidad a asegurar la autoridad franca sobre las tribus germánicas dependientes. Entre 720 y 723
Eventos* San Bonifacio derriba el roble de Thor cerca de Fritzlar, marcando el evento decisivo en la cristianización del norte de Alemania.
, Carlos estaba luchando en Baviera, donde los duques de Agilolfing se habían convertido gradualmente en gobernantes independientes, recientemente en alianza con Liutprando el Lombardo. Obligó a los alamanes a acompañarlo, y al duque Hugo de Baviera.
Hugo ' de los Agilolfings fue 724 - 736 duque de Baviera.
submitted to Frankish suzerainty. In 725725
Eventos...
and 728728 Summary
Eventos*Liutprand, rey de los lombardos ocupa todo el exarcado....
, volvió a entrar en Baviera y los lazos de señorío parecían fuertes. Desde su primera campaña, trajo de vuelta a la princesa Agilolfing Swanachild, quien aparentemente se convirtió en su concubina. En 730730
Eventos...
, marchó contra Lantfrid
Lantfrid fue duque de Alamannia bajo soberanía franca desde 709 hasta su muerte.
, duque de Alemannia, que también se había independizado, y lo mató en batalla. Forzó la capitulación alamana ante la soberanía franca y no nombró un sucesor de Lantfrid. Así, el sur de Alemania una vez más se convirtió en parte del reino franco, al igual que el norte de Alemania durante los primeros años del reinado.
Pero en 730, su propio reino seguro, Carlos comenzó a prepararse exclusivamente para la tormenta que se avecinaba desde el sur y el oeste.
En 721721
Eventos...
, el emir de Córdoba había construido un fuerte ejército de Marruecos
El Reino de Marruecos es un país del norte de África....
Yemen
Yemen, oficialmente la República de Yemen, es un país de Oriente Medio ubicado en la Península Arábiga en el suroeste de Asia.
, y Siria
Siria, oficialmente la República Árabe Siria, es un país en el Medio Oriente....
to conquer Aquitaine, the large duchy in the southwest of Gaul, nominally under Frankish sovereignty, but in practice almost independent in the hands of the Odo the Great, the Duke of Aquitaine, since the Merovingian kings had lost power. The invading Muslims besieged the city of Toulouse, then Aquitaine's most important city, and Odo (also called Eudes, or Eudo) immediately left to find help. He returned three months later just before the city was about to surrender and defeated the Muslim invaders on June 9, 721
Eventos...
, en lo que ahora se conoce como la Batalla de ToulouseBatalla de Toulouse (721)
La batalla de Tolouse fue una victoria de un ejército franco dirigido por el duque Odón de Aquitania sobre un ejército omeya que sitiaba la ciudad.
. Esta derrota crítica fue esencialmente el resultado de un movimiento envolvente clásico de las fuerzas de Odo. (Después de que Odo huyó originalmente, los musulmanes se volvieron demasiado confiados y, en lugar de mantener fuertes defensas exteriores alrededor de su campamento de asedio y exploración continua, no hicieron ninguna de las dos cosas). Por lo tanto, cuando Odo regresó, pudo lanzar un ataque sorpresa casi completo contra la fuerza sitiadora, dispersándola en el primer ataque y matando unidades atrapadas descansando o que huyeron sin armas ni armaduras.
Debido a la situación en Iberia, Martel creía que necesitaba un ejército prácticamente a tiempo completo, uno que pudiera entrenar intensamente, como un núcleo de francos veteranos que serían aumentados con los reclutas habituales llamados en tiempo de guerra. (Durante la Alta Edad Media
La Alta Edad Media es un período en la historia de Europa después de la caída del Imperio Romano de Occidente, que abarca aproximadamente ...
, troops were only available after the crops had been planted and before harvesting time.) To train the kind of infantry that could withstand the Muslim heavy cavalry, Charles needed them year-round, and he needed to pay them so their families could buy the food they would have otherwise grown. To obtain money he seized church lands and property, and used the funds to pay his soldiers. The same Charles who had secured the support of the ecclesia by donating land, seized some of it back between 724 and 732. Of course, Church officials were enraged, and, for a time, it looked as though Charles might even be excommunicated for his actions. But then came a significant invasion.
Eve of Tours
Historian Paul K. DavisPaul K. Davis
Paul K. Davis is an historian specializing in military history....
said in 100 Decisive Battles "Having defeated Eudes, he turned to the Rhine to strengthen his northeastern borders - but in 725 was diverted south with the activity of the Muslims in Acquitane." Martel then concentrated his attention to the Umayyads, virtually for the remainder of his life. Indeed, 12 years later, when he had thrice rescued Gaul from Umayyad invasions, Antonio Santosuosso Summary
Antonio Santosuosso is a Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario....
noted when he destroyed an Umayyad army sent to reinforce the invasion forces of the 735 campaigns, "Charles Martel again came to the rescue". It has been noted that Charles Martel could have pursued the wars against the Saxons—but he was determined to prepare for what he thought was a greater danger.
It is also vital to note that the Muslims were not aware, at that time, of the true strength of the Franks, or the fact that they were building a real army instead of the typical barbarian hordes that had infested Europe after Rome's fall. They considered the Germanic tribes, including the Franks, simply barbarians and were not particularly concerned about them. The Arab Chronicles, the history of that age, show that Arab awareness of the Franks as a growing military power came only after the Battle of Tours when the Caliph expressed shock at his army's catastrophic defeat.
Battle of Tours
Main article Battle of Tours
The Battle of Tours , often called Battle of Poitiers and also called in Arabic The Court of Martyrs was fought n...
.
Lead-up and importance
The CordobaCórdoba, Spain Overview
Crdoba, also called Crdova, is a city in Andaluca, southern Spain, and the capital of the province of Crdoba....
n Emirate
Etymologically an emirate or amirate is the quality, dignity, office or territorial competence of any Emir....
had previously invaded Gaul
Gaul was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, B...
and had been stopped in its northward sweep at the Battle of Toulouse (721)
The Battle of Tolouse was a victory of a Frankish army led by Duke Odo of Aquitaine over an Umayyad army besieging the city ...
, in 721. The hero of that less celebrated event had been Odo the Great, Duke of Aquitaine, who was not the progenitor of a race of kings and patron of chroniclers. It has previously been explained how Odo defeated the invading Muslims, but when they returned, things were far different. The arrival in the interim of a new emir of Cordoba, Abdul Rahman Al GhafiqiAbdul
Abu Said Abdul Rahman ibn Abdullah ibn Bishr ibn Al Sarem Al 'Aki Al Ghafiqi, variously known as Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi'...
, who brought with him a huge force of Arabs and BerberBerber people
The Berbers are an ethnic group indigenous to Northwest Africa, speaking the Berber languages of the Afroasiatic family....
horsemen, triggered a far greater invasion. Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi had been at Toulouse, and the Arab Chronicles make clear he had strongly opposed the Emir's decision not to secure outer defenses against a relief force, which allowed Odo and his relief force to attack with impunity before the Islamic cavalry could assemble or mount. Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi had no intention of permitting such a disaster again. This time the Umayyad horsemen were ready for battle, and the results were horrific for the Aquitanians. Odo, hero of Toulouse, was badly defeated in the Muslim invasion of 732
732 es también un código de área en el estado de Nueva Jersey....
at the battle prior to the Muslim sacking of Bordeaux, and when he gathered a second army, at the Battle of the River GaronneBattle of the River Garonne
La batalla del río Garona se libró en 732 entre un ejército omeya dirigido por Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, gobernador de Al-And...
—donde los cronistas occidentales afirman: "Sólo Dios sabe el número de muertos"— y la ciudad de Burdeos fue saqueada y saqueada. Odo huyó a Charles, buscando ayuda. Charles aceptó acudir al rescate de Odo, siempre que Odo reconociera a Charles y su casa como sus señores, lo que Odo hizo formalmente de inmediato. Así, Odo se desvaneció en la historia mientras Carlos marchaba hacia ella. Es interesante notar que Carlos era pragmático; mientras que la mayoría de los comandantes nunca usarían a sus enemigos en la batalla, Odón y sus nobles aquitanos restantes formaron el flanco derecho de las fuerzas de Carlos en Tours.
La batalla de Tours
La Batalla de Tours, a menudo llamada Batalla de Poitiers y también llamada en árabe La Corte de los Mártires se libró n...
earned Charles the cognomenCognomen
El cognomen era originalmente el tercer nombre de un romano en la convención de nomenclatura romana.
"Martel", for the merciless way he hammered his enemies. Many historians, including the great military historian Sir Edward Creasy
Sir Edward Shepherd Creasy, historiador, fue educado en el Eton College y la Universidad de Cambridge y llamado al Colegio de Abogados en 1837.
, creen que si hubiera fracasado en Tours, IslamIslam
El Islam es una religión monoteísta basada en el Corán, que los adherentes creen que fue enviada por Dios a través de Mahoma.
would probably have overrun Gaul
Galia era el nombre dado, en la antigüedad, a la región de Europa Occidental que comprende el actual norte de Italia, Francia, B...
, y quizás el resto de la Europa cristiana occidental. Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon fue un historiador inglés y miembro del Parlamento.
made clear his belief that the Umayyad armies would have conquered from Rome to the Rhine, and even England, with ease, had Martel not prevailed. Creasy said "the great victory won by Charles Martel ... gave a decisive check to the career of Arab conquest in Western Europe, rescued Christendom from Islam, [and] preserved the relics of ancient and the germs of modern civilization." Gibbon's belief that the fate of Christianity hinged on this battle is echoed by other historians including John B. Bury, and was very popular for most of modern historiography. It fell somewhat out of style in the twentieth century, when historians such as Bernard Lewis contended that Arabs had little intention of occupying northern France. More recently, however, many historians have tended once again to view the Battle of Tours as a very significant event in the history of Europe and Christianity. Equally, many, such as William Watson, still believe this battle was one of macrohistorical world-changing importance, if they do not go so far as Gibbon does rhetorically.
En la era moderna, Matthew Bennett y sus coautores de "Técnicas de lucha del mundo medieval", publicado en 2005, argumentan que "pocas batallas se recuerdan 1.000 años después de que se libran ... pero la batalla de Poitiers, (Tours) es una excepción... Carlos Martel rechazó una incursión musulmana que, si se le hubiera permitido continuar, podría haber conquistado la Galia". Michael Grant, autor de "Historia de Roma", concede a la batalla de Tours tal importancia que la enumera en las fechas macrohistóricas de la época romana.
Sin embargo, es importante señalar que los historiadores occidentales modernos, los historiadores militares y los escritores, esencialmente se dividen en tres campos. El primero, aquellos que creen que Gibbon tenía razón en su evaluación de que Martel salvó el cristianismo y la civilización occidental por esta batalla son tipificados por Bennett, Paul Davis, Robert Martin y el pedagogo Dexter B. WakefieldDexter B. Wakefield.
El Dr. Dexter B. Wakefield es profesor asistente y 1er vicepresidente de la Universidad del Sur de Illinois.
who writes in An Islamic Europe
El segundo campo de historiadores contemporáneos cree que un fracaso de Martel en Tours podría haber sido un desastre, destruyendo lo que se convertiría en la civilización occidental después del Renacimiento.
En la visión tradicional, el Renacimiento se entendió como una época histórica en Europa que siguió a la Edad Media y ...
. Ciertamente, todos los historiadores están de acuerdo en que ningún poder habría permanecido en Europa capaz de detener la expansión islámica si los francos hubieran fracasado. William E. Watson
William E. Watson es un historiador que trabaja para la organización sin fines de lucro De Re Militari.
, uno de los historiadores más respetados de esta época, apoya firmemente Tours como un evento macrohistórico, pero se distancia de la retórica de Gibbon y Drubeck, escribiendo, por ejemplo, sobre la importancia de la batalla en la historia franca y mundial en 1993:
El campo final de los historiadores occidentales cree que Tours fue muy sobrevalorado. Este punto de vista es tipificado por Alessandro Barbero, quien escribe: "Hoy en día, los historiadores tienden a minimizar el significado de la batalla de Poitiers, señalando que el propósito de la fuerza árabe derrotada por Charles Martel no era conquistar el reino franco, sino simplemente saquear el rico monasterio de San Martín de Tours". Del mismo modo, Tomaž Mastnak escribe:
However, it is vital to note, when assessing Charles Martel's life, that even those historians who dispute the significance of this one Battle as the event that saved Christianity, do not dispute that Martel himself had a huge effect on western history. Modern military historian Victor Davis HansonVictor Davis Hanson
Victor Davis Hanson is a military historian, columnist, political essayist and former Classics professor, best known as a s...
acknowledges the debate on this battle, citing historians both for and against its macrohistorical placement:
Battle
The Battle of Tours probably took place somewhere between Tours and PoitiersPoitiers
Poitiers is a town located in west central France....
(hence its other name: Battle of Poitiers). The Frankish army, under Charles Martel, consisted mostly of veteran infantryInfantry
Infantry is a term for soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units....
, somewhere between 15,000 and 75,000 men. While Charles had some cavalry, they did not have stirrups, so he had them dismount and reinforce his phalanx. Odo and his Aquitanian nobility were also normally cavalry, but they also dismounted at the Battle's onset, to buttress the phalanx. Responding to the Umayyad invasion, the Franks had avoided the old Roman roads, hoping to take the invaders by surprise. Martel believed it was absolutely essential that he not only take the Umayyads by surprise, but that he be allowed to select the ground on which the battle would be fought, ideally a high, wooded plain where the Islamic horsemen, already tired from carrying armour, would be further exhausted charging uphill. Further, the woods would aid the Franks in their defensive square by partially impeding the ability of the Umayyad horsemen to make a clear charge.
From the Muslim accounts of the battle, they were indeed taken by surprise to find a large force opposing their expected sack of Tours, and they waited for six days, scouting the enemy and summoning all their raiding parties so their full strength was present for the battle. Emir Abdul Rahman was an able general who did not like the unknown at all, and he did not like charging uphill against an unknown number of foes who seemed well-disciplined and well-disposed for battle. But the weather was also a factor. The Germanic Franks, in their wolf and bear pelts, were more used to the cold, better dressed for it, and despite not having tents, which the Muslims did, were prepared to wait as long as needed, the autumn only growing colder.
On the seventh day, the Umayyad army, mostly Berber and Arab horsemen and led by Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, attacked. During the battle, the Franks defeated the Islamic army and the emir was killed. While Western accounts are sketchy, Arab accounts are fairly detailed in describing how the Franks formed a large square and fought a brilliant defensive battle. Rahman had doubts before the battle that his men were ready for such a struggle, and should have had them abandon the loot which hindered them, but instead decided to trust his horsemen, who had never failed him. Indeed, it was thought impossible for infantry of that age to withstand armoured cavalry.
Martel managed to inspire his men to stand firm against a force which must have seemed invincible to them, huge mailed horsemen, who, in addition, probably vastly outnumbered the Franks. In one of the rare instances where medieval infantry stood up against cavalry charges, the disciplined Frankish soldiers withstood the assaults even though, according to Arab sources, the Umayyad cavalry several times broke into the interior of the Frankish square. The scene is described in Bishop Isidore of Beja's Chronicle (translated passage from Fordham University's Internet Medieval Source Book):
"And in the shock of the battle the men of the North seemed like a sea that cannot be moved. Firmly they stood, one close to another, forming as it were a bulwark of ice; and with great blows of their swords they hewed down the Arabs. Drawn up in a band around their chief, the people of the Austrasians carried all before them. Their tireless hands drove their swords down to the breasts of the foe."
Both accounts agree that the Umayyad forces had broken into the square and were trying to kill Martel, whose liege men had surrounded him and would not be broken, when a trick Charles had planned before the battle bore fruit beyond his wildest dreams. Both Western and Muslim accounts of the battle agree that sometime during the height of the fighting, with the battle still in grave doubt, scouts sent by Martel to the Muslim camp began freeing prisoners. Fearing loss of their plunder, a large portion of the Muslim army abandoned the battle and returned to camp to protect their spoils. In attempting to stop what appeared to be a retreat, Abdul Rahman was surrounded and killed by the Franks, and what started as a ruse ended up a real retreat, as the Umayyad army fled the field that day. The Franks resumed their phalanx, and rested in place through the night, believing the battle would resume at dawn of the following morning.
The next day, when the Umayyad army did not renew the battle, the Franks feared an ambush. Charles at first believed the Muslims were attempting to lure him down the hill and into the open, a tactic he would resist at all costs. Only after extensive reconnaissance by Frankish soldiers of the Umayyad camp—which by both accounts had been so hastily abandoned that even the tents remained, as the Umayyad forces headed back to Iberia with what spoils remained that they could carry—was it discovered that the Muslims had retreated during the night. As the Arab Chronicles would later reveal, the generals from the different parts of the Caliphate, Berbers, Arabs, Persians and many more, had been unable to agree on a leader to take Abd er Rahman's place as Emir, or even to agree on a commander to lead them the following day. Only the Emir, Abd er Rahman, had a FatwaFatwa
Definition A fatwa plural fatawa , is a legal pronouncement in Islam, done by a law specialist on an issue....
from the Caliph, and thus absolute authority over the faithful under arms. With his death, and with the varied nationalities and ethnicities present in an army drawn from all over the Caliphate, politics, racial and ethnic bias, and personalities reared their head. The inability of the bickering generals to select anyone to lead resulted in the wholesale withdrawal of an army that might have been able to resume the battle and defeat the Franks.
Martel's ability to have Abd er Rahman killed through a clever ruse he had carefully planned to cause confusion, at the battle's apex, and his years spent rigorously training his men, combined to do what was thought impossible: Martel's Franks, virtually all heavy infantry, withstood both mailed heavy cavalry with 20 foot lances, and bow-wielding light cavalry, without the aid of bows or firearms. This was a feat of war almost unheard of in medieval history, a feat which even the heavily armored Roman legions proved themselves incapable of against the Parthians, and left Martel a unique place in history as the savior of Europe
and a brilliant general in an age not known for its generalship.
After Tours
In the subsequent decade, Charles led the Frankish army against the eastern duchies, Bavaria and Alemannia, and the southern duchies, AquitaineAquitaine
Aquitaine now forms a region in south-western France along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the bo...
and Provence
Provence is a former Roman province and is now a region of southeastern France, located on the Mediterranean Sea adjacent t...
. He dealt with the ongoing conflict with the Frisia
Frisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea....
ns and SaxonsSaxons
The Saxons or Saxon people are part of the German people with its main areas of settlements in the German States of S...
to his northeast with some success, but full conquest of the Saxons and their incorporation into the Frankish empire would wait for his grandson Charlemagne, primarily because Martel concentrated the bulk of his efforts against Muslim expansion.
So instead of concentrating on conquest to his east, he continued expanding Frankish authority in the west, and denying the Emirate of Córdoba a foothold in Europe beyond Al-Andalus. After his victory at Tours, Martel continued on in campaigns in 736736
Events...
and 737737
Events...
to drive other Muslim armies from bases in Gaul after they again attempted to get a foothold in Europe beyond Al-Andalus.
Wars from 732-737
Between his victory of 732 and 735735
EventsBirths*Alcuin, missionary and bishop...
, Charles reorganized the kingdom of BurgundyBurgundy
Burgundy is a historic region of France, inhabited in turn by Pre-Indo-European people, Celts , Romans , and various German...
, replacing the counts and dukes with his loyal supporters, thus strengthening his hold on power. He was forced, by the ventures of Radbod, King of the Frisians
Radbod was the duke of Frisia from 680 to 719....
, duque de los frisonesGobernantes de Frisia
De los primeros gobernantes históricamente verificables de Frisia, ya sea que se llamen duques o reyes, la dinastía a continuación se establece ...
(719-734), son of the Duke Aldegisel who had accepted the missionariesMissionary Summary
Un misionero se define tradicionalmente como un propagador de la religión que trabaja para convertir a los que están fuera de esa comunidad; alguien...
Willibrord and Boniface, to invade independence-minded Frisia again in 734734
Eventos...
. En ese año, mató al duque, que había expulsado a los misioneros cristianos, en la batalla del Boarn.
La batalla del Boarn fue una batalla del siglo VIII entre los francos y los frisones cerca de la desembocadura del río Boarn.
and so wholly subjugated the populace (he destroyed every pagan shrine) that the people were peaceful for twenty years after.
La dinámica cambió en 735 debido a la muerte de Odón el Grande, que se había visto obligado a reconocer, aunque con reserva, la soberanía de Carlos en 719. Aunque Carlos deseaba unir el ducado directamente a sí mismo y fue allí para obtener el homenaje adecuado de los aquitanianos, la nobleza proclamó al hijo de Odo, Hunodo, cuyo ducado Carlos reconoció cuando los omeyas invadieron Provenza al año siguiente, y que igualmente se vio obligado a reconocer a Carlos como señor supremo ya que no tenía ninguna esperanza de contener a los musulmanes solo.
Esta invasión naval árabe fue encabezada por el hijo de Abdul Rahman. Aterrizó en Narbona
Visión general Narbona
Narbonne es una ciudad y comuna francesa, situada en el suroeste de Francia, en la región de Languedoc-Rosellón....
in 736 and moved at once to reinforce Arles
Arles es una ciudad en el sur de Francia, en el apartamento Bouches-du-Rhne, del cual es una subprefectura, en la f...
and move inland. Charles temporarily put the conflict with Hunold on hold, and descended on the Provençal strongholds of the Umayyads. In 736, he retook Montfrin
Montfrin es un pueblo del departamento de Gard, en el sur de Francia....
and Avignon
Aviñón es una comuna en el sur de Francia con una población estimada a mediados de 2004 de 89.300 habitantes en la propia ciudad y una población popul...
, y Arles y Aix-en-ProvenceAix-en-Provence
Aix, o, para distinguirla de otras ciudades construidas sobre aguas termales, Aix-en-Provence es una ciudad en el sur de Francia, som...
with the help of Liutprand, King of the LombardsFacts About Liutprand, King of the Lombards
Liutprando fue el rey de los lombardos de 712 a 744 y es recordado principalmente por su Donación de Sutri, en 728, y su ...
. Nimes
Nmes es una población y comuna francesa, situada en la región de Languedoc-Rosellón, departamento de Gard, en el distrito de Gard y cantón de Més. ...
, Agde
Agde es una población y comuna francesa, situada en la región de Languedoc-Rosellón, departamento de Hrault, en el distrito de Bourges y cantón de Évreux.
, y BéziersBéziers
Bziers es una ciudad en Languedoc, en el suroeste de Francia....
, en poder del Islam desde 725725
Eventos...
, cayeron ante él y sus fortalezas fueron destruidas. Aplastó a un ejército omeya en Arles, cuando esa fuerza salió de la ciudad, y luego tomó la ciudad misma por un ataque frontal directo y brutal, y la quemó hasta los cimientos para evitar su uso nuevamente como una fortaleza para la expansión omeya. Luego se movió rápidamente y derrotó a una poderosa hueste fuera de Narbona en el río Berre, pero no pudo tomar la ciudad. Los historiadores militares creen que podría haberlo tomado, si hubiera elegido atar todos sus recursos para hacerlo, pero creía que su vida estaba llegando a su fin, y tenía mucho trabajo que hacer para prepararse para que sus hijos tomaran el control del reino franco. Un asalto frontal directo, como el de Arles, usando escaleras de cuerda y arietes, además de algunas catapultas, simplemente no fue suficiente para tomar Narbona sin una horrible pérdida de vidas para los francos, tropas que Martel sintió que no podía perder. Tampoco podía dedicar años a matar de hambre a la ciudad hasta la sumisión, años que necesitaba para establecer la administración de un imperio sobre el que reinarían sus herederos. Por lo tanto, dejó Narbona, aislada y rodeada, y su hijo regresaría para liberarla para el cristianismo. Provenza, sin embargo, se deshizo con éxito de sus ocupantes extranjeros y aplastó a todos los ejércitos extranjeros capaces de avanzar aún más en el Islam.
Notable acerca de estas campañas fue la incorporación de Carlos, por primera vez, de caballería pesada con estribos para aumentar su formación de falange.
Una falange es una formación militar de masa rectangular, generalmente compuesta enteramente de infantería pesada armada con lanzas, picas o ...
. Su capacidad para coordinar a los veteranos de infantería y caballería era inigualable en esa época y le permitió enfrentarse a un número superior de invasores y derrotarlos decisivamente una y otra vez. Algunos historiadores creen que la batalla contra la principal fuerza musulmana en el río Berre, cerca de Narbona, en particular, fue una victoria tan importante para la Europa cristiana como Tours. En Bárbaros, merodeadores e infieles, Antonio Santosuosso
Antonio Santosuosso es profesor emérito de Historia en la Universidad de Western Ontario en Londres, Ontario.
, Profesor Emérito de Historia en la Universidad de Western OntarioUniversidad de Western Ontario
La Universidad de Western Ontario es una universidad mixta, no confesional e intensiva en investigación ubicada en Londres, O...
, y considerado un historiador experto en la era en disputa, presenta una interesante opinión moderna sobre Martel, Tours y las campañas posteriores contra el hijo de Rahman en 736-737. Santosuosso presenta un caso convincente de que estas derrotas posteriores de los ejércitos musulmanes invasores fueron al menos tan importantes como Tours en su defensa de la cristiandad occidental y la preservación del monaquismo occidental.
El monaquismo en el cristianismo es una familia de tradiciones similares que comenzó a desarrollarse temprano en la historia de la Iglesia cristiana, ...
, cuyos monasterios fueron los centros de aprendizaje que finalmente sacaron a Europa de su Edad Media.
La Edad Media formó el período medio en una división esquemática tradicional de la historia europea en tres "edades": la clas...
. También hace un argumento convincente, después de estudiar las historias árabes de la época, que estos eran claramente ejércitos de invasión, enviados por el califa no solo para vengar Tours, sino para comenzar la conquista de la Europa cristiana y llevarla al califato.
Además, a diferencia de su padre en Tours, el hijo de Rahman en 736-737 sabía que los francos eran un poder real, y que Martel personalmente era una fuerza a tener en cuenta. No tenía intención de permitir que Martel lo tomara desprevenido y dictara el momento y el lugar de la batalla, como lo había hecho su padre, y se concentró en cambio en apoderarse de una parte sustancial de las llanuras costeras alrededor de Narbona.
Narbonne es una ciudad y comuna francesa, situada en el suroeste de la región de Languedoc-Rosellón.
in 736 and heavily reinforced Arles
Arles es una ciudad en el sur de Francia, en el departamento de Bouches-du-Rhne, del cual es una subprefectura, en la f...
as he advanced inland. They planned from there to move from city to city, fortifying as they went, and if Martel wished to stop them from making a permanent enclave for expansion of the Caliphate, he would have to come to them, in the open, where, he, unlike his father, would dictate the place of battle. All worked as he had planned, until Martel arrived, albeit more swiftly than the Moors believed he could call up his entire army. Unfortunately for Rahman's son, however, he had overestimated the time it would take Martel to develop heavy cavalry equal to that of the Muslims. The Caliphate believed it would take a generation, but Martel managed it in five short years. Prepared to face the Frankish phalanx, the Muslims were totally unprepared to face a mixed force of heavy cavalry and infantry in a phalanx. Thus, Charles again championed Christianity and halted Muslim expansion into Europe, as the window was closing on Islamic ability to do so. These defeats, plus those at the hands of Leo in Anatolia were the last great attempt at expansion by the Umayyad Caliphate before the destruction of the dynasty at the Battle of the ZabBattle of the Zab
La batalla del Zab tuvo lugar a orillas del río Gran Zab en lo que hoy es Irak el 25 de enero de 750.
, y el desgarro del Califato para siempre, especialmente la destrucción total del ejército omeya en el río Berre cerca de Narbona en 737.
Interregno
En 737, al final de su campaña en Provenza y Septimania
- Carlomagno encontró Septimania y las tierras fronterizas tan devastadas y despobladas por la guerra, con los habitantes escondidos entre los ...
, el rey, Teodorico IV, murió. Martel, titulándose a sí mismo maior domus y princeps et dux Francorum, no nombró un nuevo rey y nadie lo aclamó. El trono permaneció vacante hasta la muerte de Martel. Como el historiador Charles Oman
Sir Charles William Chadwick Omán fue un notable historiador militar británico de principios del siglo 20.
says (The Dark Ages, pg. 297), "he cared not for name or style so long as the real power was in his hands."
Gibbon has said Martel was "content with the titles of Mayor or Duke of the Franks, but he deserved to become the father of a line of kings," which he did. Gibbon also says of him, "in the public danger, he was summoned by the voice of his country."
The interregnum, the final four years of Charles' life, was more peaceful than most of it had been and much of his time was now spent on administrative and organisational plans to create a more efficient state. Though, in 738 Facts About 738
Events...
, he compelled the Saxons of WestphaliaWestphalia Overview
Westfalia es una región en Alemania, centrada en las ciudades de Bielefeld, Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen, Mnster y Osnabrck...
to do him homage and pay tribute, and in 739 checked an uprising in Provence, the rebels being under the leadership of Maurontus. Charles set about integrating the outlying realms of his empire into the Frankish church. He erected four dioceses in Bavaria and gave them Boniface as archbishopArchbishop
En el cristianismo, un arzobispo es un obispo elevado.
and metropolitanMetropolitan bishop
En las iglesias cristianas jerárquicas, el rango de obispo metropolitano, o simplemente metropolitano, pertenece a la diócesis ...
over all Germany east of the Rhine, with his seat at MainzMainz Summary
Maguncia es una ciudad en Alemania y la capital del estado federal alemán de Renania-Palatinado....
. Bonifacio había estado bajo su protección desde 723 en adelante; de hecho, el santo mismo explicó a su viejo amigo, Daniel de Winchester, que sin ella no podría administrar su iglesia, defender a su clero, ni evitar la idolatría. Fue Bonifacio quien había defendido a Carlos con mayor firmeza por sus acciones al apoderarse de tierras eclesiásticas para pagar a su ejército en los días previos a Tours, como alguien que hacía lo que debía para defender el cristianismo. En 739739
Eventos...
, Papa Gregorio IIIPope Gregorio III
El Papa Gregorio III, papa, sirio de nacimiento, sucedió a Gregorio II en marzo de 731.
begged Charles for his aid against Liutprand, but Charles was loathe to fight his onetime ally and ignored the Papal plea. Nonetheless, the Papal applications for Frankish protection showed how far Martel had come from the days he was tottering on excommunication, and set the stage for his son and grandson literally to rearrange Italy to suit the Papacy, and protect it.
Muerte
Charles Martel murió el 22 de octubre de 741741
Lo sentimos, no hay información general sobre este tema
, en Quierzy-sur-OiseDatos sobre Quierzy-sur-Oise
Quierzy-sur-Oise es una población y comuna francesa, en la región de Picardía, departamento de Aisne, en el distrito de Soissons y cantón de Laissons, en el distrito de Soissons y cantón de Laissons.
in what is today the Aisne
Aisne es un departamento en la parte norte de Francia, que lleva el nombre del río Aisne. ...
département Départements of France
Los departamentos son unidades administrativas de Francia y muchas antiguas colonias francesas, aproximadamente análogas a los condados ingleses.
en el Picardía
Picardía es una provincia histórica de Francia, en el norte de Francia....
region of France. He was buried at Saint Denis Basilica
La Basílica de Saint Denis es el famoso lugar de enterramiento de los monarcas franceses, comparable a la Abadía de Westminster en Inglaterra.
in Paris
native_name = Ville de Paris|common_name = París...
. Sus territorios fueron divididos entre sus hijos adultos un año antes: a Carlomán, hijo de Carlos Martel.
Carlomán era el hijo de Carlos Martel, domo mayor o alcalde del palacio y duque de los francos, y su esposa Chrotrud.
he gave Austrasia and Alemannia (with Bavaria as a vassal), to Pippin the YoungerPippin the Younger
Pippin el JovenEl nombre de Pippin puede ser muy confuso....
Neustria and Burgundy (with Aquitaine as a vassal), and to Grifo
Grifo era el hijo del mayordomo mayor franco Charles Martel y su segunda esposa Swanahild.
nothing, though some sources indicate he intended to give him a strip of land between Neustria and Austrasia.
Gibbon lo llamó "el héroe de la época" y declaró "la cristiandad... entregado... por el genio y la buena fortuna de un hombre, Charles Martel". Se puede argumentar que Gibbon tenía razón en ambos aspectos.
Legado
Al comienzo de la carrera de Carlos Martel, tuvo muchos oponentes internos y sintió la necesidad de nombrar a su propio pretendiente real, Clotario IV. Al final, sin embargo, la dinámica del gobierno en Francia había cambiado, no se necesitaba ningún Meroving sagrado, ni para la defensa ni para la legitimidad: Carlos dividió su reino entre sus hijos sin oposición (aunque ignoró a su joven hijo Bernard). En el medio, fortaleció el estado franco al derrotar consistentemente, a través de un generalato superior, a la hueste de naciones extranjeras hostiles que lo acosaban por todos lados, incluidos los paganos sajones, que su nieto Carlomagno sometería por completo, y los moros, que detuvo en un camino de dominación continental.
Aunque nunca le importaron los títulos, su hijo Pippin Pippin el Joven
Pippin el JovenEl nombre de Pippin puede ser muy confuso....
did, and finally asked the Pope
Pope Overview
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, and, as Successor of Saint Peter, is the head of the Catholic Church....
"who should be King, he who has the title, or he who has the power?" The Pope, highly dependent on Frankish armies for his independence from Lombard and ByzantineByzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire of the...
power (the Byzantine emperor still considered himself to be the only legitimate "Roman EmperorRoman Emperor
"Roman Emperor" is the term historians use to refer to rulers of the Roman Empire, after the epoch conventionally named the ...
", and thus, ruler of all of the provinces of the ancient empireRoman Empire Summary
The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by an autocratic form of government....
, whether recognised or not), declared for "he who had the power" and immediately crowned Pippin.
Decades later, in 800800
Eventos...
, el hijo de Pipino, Carlomagno
Carlomagno fue el rey de los francos que conquistó Italia y tomó la Corona de Hierro de Lombardía en 774 y, en una visita a ...
was crowned emperor by the Pope, further extending the principle by delegitimising the nominal authority of the Byzantine emperor in the Italian peninsula (which had, by then, shrunk to encompass little more than Apulia
Apulia es una región en el sureste de Italia que limita con el mar Adriático en el este, el mar Jónico al sureste y el S...
and Calabria
Calabria, es una región en el sur de Italia que ocupa el "dedo del pie" de la península italiana al sur de Nápoles....
at best) and ancient Roman Gaul, including the Iberian outposts Charlemagne had established in the Marca Hispanica
La Marca Hispánica era una zona de amortiguamiento más allá de la provincia de Septimania, establecida por primera vez por Carlomagno en 795 como un b...
a través de los Pirineos
[Imagen:Pic de Bugatet.jpg|thumb|250px| Pic de Bugatet en la Reserva Natural Nouvielle....
, lo que hoy forma Cataluña
La Comunidad Autónoma de Cataluña, conocida a lo largo de la historia simplemente como Cataluña, es hoy una de las 17...
. En resumen, aunque el emperador bizantino reclamó autoridad sobre todo el antiguo Imperio Romano.
El Imperio Romano fue una fase de la antigua civilización romana caracterizada por una forma autocrática de gobierno.
, como el legítimo emperador "romano", simplemente no era la realidad. La mayor parte del Imperio Romano de Occidente
El Imperio Romano de Occidente es el nombre dado a la mitad occidental del Imperio Romano después de su división por Diocleciano en 286.
had come under Carolingian rule, the Byzantine Emperor having had almost no authority in the West since the sixth century, though Charlemagne, a consummate politician, preferred to avoid an open breach with Constantinople. An institution unique in history was being born: the Holy Roman Empire
El Sacro Imperio Romano Germánico fue un conglomerado de tierras principalmente centroeuropeo en la Edad Media y el período moderno temprano, ...
. Aunque el sardónico VoltaireVoltaire
Franois-Marie Arouet, más conocido por el seudónimo de Voltaire, fue un escritor, ensayista, deísta y p...
ridiculed its nomenclature, saying that the Holy Roman Empire was "neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire," it constituted an enormous political power for a time, especially under the Saxon and Salian dynastiesSalian dynasty
La dinastía Salia fue una dinastía de reyes germánicos, también conocida como la dinastía franca por el origen y la r...
and, to a lesser, extent, the Hohenstaufen. It lasted until 1806, by then it was a nonentity. Though his grandson became its first emperor, the "empire" such as it was, was largely born during the reign of Charles Martel.
Carlos era el más raro de los productos en la Edad Media: un brillante general estratégico, que también era un comandante táctico por excelencia, capaz en el fragor de la batalla de adaptar sus planes a las fuerzas y el movimiento de su enemigo, y sorprendentemente, derrotarlos repetidamente, especialmente cuando, como en Tours, eran muy superiores en hombres y armamento. y en Berre y Narbona, cuando eran superiores en número de combatientes. Carlos tenía la última cualidad que define la grandeza genuina en un comandante militar: previó los peligros de sus enemigos y se preparó para ellos con cuidado; Utilizó el terreno, el tiempo, el lugar y la feroz lealtad de sus tropas para compensar el armamento y las tácticas superiores de su enemigo; En tercer lugar, se adaptó, una y otra vez, al enemigo en el campo de batalla, cambiando para compensar lo imprevisto e imprevisible.
Gibbon, cuyo homenaje a Martel ha sido notado, no fue el único entre los grandes historiadores de la era media en alabar fervientemente a Martel; Thomas Arnold clasifica la victoria de Charles Martel aún más alta que la victoria de Arminius
Datos sobre Arminius
Arminio fue un jefe de guerra de la tribu germánica de los queruscos que derrotó a un ejército romano en la batalla de Teutoburgo.
in the Battle of the Teutoburg ForestBattle of the Teutoburg Forest
La Batalla del Bosque de Teutoburgo tuvo lugar en el año 9 cuando una alianza de tribus germánicas liderada por Arminio, el hijo de Arminio, el hijo de Arminio...
in its impact on all of modern history:
"La victoria de Carlos Martel en Tours fue una de esas liberaciones señaladas que han afectado durante siglos la felicidad de la humanidad". [Historia de la Mancomunidad Romana posterior, vol ii. p. 317.]
Los historiadores alemanes son especialmente ardientes en sus elogios a Martel y en su creencia de que salvó a Europa y al cristianismo del Islam que lo conquistaba todo, elogiándolo también por hacer retroceder a los feroces bárbaros sajones en sus fronteras. Schlegel habla de esta " poderosa victoria " en términos de ferviente gratitud, y cuenta cómo "el brazo de Charles Martel salvó y liberó a las naciones cristianas de Occidente de las garras mortales del Islam que todo lo destruye", y Ranke señala,
"como una de las épocas más importantes de la historia del mundo, el comienzo del siglo VIII, cuando por un lado el mahometismo amenazó con extender Italia y la Galia, y por el otro la antigua idolatría de Sajonia y Frisia una vez más se abrió paso a través del Rin. En este peligro de las instituciones cristianas, un joven príncipe de raza germánica, Karl Martell, se levantó como su campeón, las mantuvo con toda la energía que exige la necesidad de autodefensa, y finalmente las extendió a nuevas regiones.
En 1922 y 1923, el historiador belga Henri Pirenne
Henri Pirenne fue un destacado historiador belga.
published a series of papers, known collectively as the "Pirenne Thesis", which remain influential to this day. Pirenne held that the Roman Empire continued, in the Frankish realms, up until the time of the Arab conquests in the 7th century
El siglo VII es el período de 7 - 601 de acuerdo con el calendario juliano en la era cristiana.
. Estas conquistas interrumpieron las rutas comerciales mediterráneas que llevaron a un declive de la economía europea. Tal interrupción continua habría significado un completo desastre si no fuera por la detención de la expansión islámica en Europa por parte de Carlos Martel a partir de 732. Lo que logró preservar condujo al Renacimiento carolingio
Visión general del Renacimiento carolingio
El Renacimiento carolingio fue un período de renacimiento intelectual y cultural que ocurrió a finales del siglo 8 y 9, con ...
, nombrado en su honor.
El profesor Santosuosso quizás resume mejor a Martel cuando habla de su llegada al rescate de sus aliados cristianos en Provenza, y la expulsión de los musulmanes de vuelta a la Península Ibérica para siempre a mediados y finales de la década de 730.
Después de reunir fuerzas en Zaragoza, los musulmanes entraron en territorio francés en 735, cruzaron el río Ródano y capturaron y saquearon Arles. Desde allí llegaron al corazón de la Provenza, terminando con la captura de Aviñón, a pesar de la fuerte resistencia. Las fuerzas islámicas permanecieron en territorio francés durante unos cuatro años, llevando incursiones a Lyon, Borgoña y Piamonte. De nuevo Carlos Martel acudió al rescate, reconquistando la mayoría de los territorios perdidos en dos campañas en 736 y 739, a excepción de la ciudad de Narbona, que finalmente cayó en 759. La segunda expedición (musulmana) fue probablemente más peligrosa que la primera para Poiters. Sin embargo, su fracaso (a manos de Martel) puso fin a cualquier expedición musulmana seria a través de los Pirineos (para siempre)".
En los Países Bajos, una parte vital del Imperio Carolingio, y en los países bajos, es considerado un héroe. En Francia y Alemania, es venerado como un héroe de proporciones épicas.
Hábil como administrador y gobernante, Martel organizó lo que se convertiría en el gobierno europeo medieval: un sistema de feudos, leales a barones, condes, duques y, en última instancia, al rey, o en su caso, simplemente maior domus y princeps et dux Francorum. ("Primer o dominante alcalde y príncipe de los francos") Su estrecha coordinación de la iglesia con el estado comenzó el patrón medieval para tal gobierno. Creó lo que se convertiría en el primer ejército permanente occidental desde la caída de Roma al mantener un núcleo de veteranos leales alrededor del cual organizó las levas feudales normales. En esencia, cambió Europa de una horda de bárbaros luchando entre sí, a un estado organizado.
Inicio de la Reconquista
Aunque los francos tardaron otras dos generaciones en expulsar a todas las guarniciones árabes de SeptimaniaSeptimania
- Carlomagno encontró Septimania y las tierras fronterizas tan devastadas y despobladas por la guerra, con los habitantes escondidos entre los ...
and across the PyreneesPyrenees
[Imagen:Pic de Bugatet.jpg|thumb|250px| Pic de Bugatet en la Reserva Natural Nouvielle....
, Charles Martel's halt of the invasion of French soil turned the tide of Islamic advances, and the unification of the Frankish kingdoms under Martel, his son Pippin the Younger, and his grandson Charlemagne created a western power which prevented the Emirate of Córdoba from expanding over the Pyrenees. Martel, who in 732 was on the verge of excommunication, instead was recognised by the Church as its paramount defender. Pope Gregory II
Facts About Pope Gregory II
Pope Gregory II, pope from 715 or 716 to February 11, 731, succeeded Pope Constantine, his election being variously dated Ma...
wrote him more than once, asking his protection and aid, and he remained, till his death, fixated on stopping the Muslims. Martel's son Pippin the YoungerPippin the Younger
Pippin the YoungerPippin's name can be very confusing....
kept his father's promise and returned and took Narbonne by siege in 759759
Events...
, and his grandson, Charlemagne
Charlemagne was the King of the Franks who conquered Italy and took the Iron Crown of Lombardy in 774 and, on a visit to ...
, actually established the Marca Hispanica across the Pyrenees in part of what today is Catalonia, reconquering Girona in 785785
Events*Widukind and many other Saxons are baptized....
and Barcelona in 801801 Overview
Sorry, no overview for this topic
. This sector of what is now Spain was then called "The Moorish Marches" by the Carolingians, who saw it as not just a check on the Muslims in Hispania, but the beginning of taking the entire country back. This formed a permanent buffer zone against Islam, which became the basis, along with the King of Asturias, named Pelayo (718-737, who started his fight against the Moors in the mountains of Covadonga
Covadonga, from Latin Cova dominica, "Cavern of the Lady", is a village in Asturias, northwestern Spain, among the Picos...
, 722) and his descendants, for the Reconquista until all of the Muslims were eradicated from the Iberian Peninsula.
Military legacy
Heavy infantry and permanent army
Victor Davis Hanson argues that Charles Martel launched "the thousand year struggle" between European heavy infantry, and Muslim cavalry. Of course, Martel is also the father of heavy cavalry in Europe, as he integrated heavy armoured cavalry into his forces. This creation of a real army would continue all through his reign, and that of his son, Pepin the Short, until his Grandson, Charlemagne, would possess the world's largest and finest army since the peak of Rome. Equally, the Muslims used infantry - indeed, at the Battle of Toulouse most of their forces were light infantry. It was not till Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi brought a huge force of Arab and Berber cavalry with him when he assumed the emirite of Al-Andulus that the Muslim forces became primarily cavalry.
Martel's army was known primarily for being the first standing permanent army since Rome's fall in 476, and for the core of tough, seasoned heavy infantry who stood so stoutly at Tours. The Frankish infantry wore as much as 70 pounds of armour, including their heavy wooden shields with an iron boss. Standing close together, and well disciplined, they were unbreakable at Tours. Martel had taken the money and property he had seized from the church and paid local nobles to supply trained ready infantry year round. This was the core of veterans who served with him on a permanent basis, and as Hanson says, "provided a steady supply of dependable troops year around." This was the first permanent army since Rome. " While other Germanic cultures, such as the Visigoths or Vandals, had a proud martial tradition, and the Franks themselves had an annual muster of military aged men, such tribes were only able to field armies around planting and harvest. It was Martel's creation of a system whereby he could call on troops year round that gave the Carolingians the first standing and permanent army since Rome's fall in the west.
And, first and foremost, Charles Martel will always be remembered for his victory at Tours. Creasy argues that the Martel victory "preserved the relics of ancient and the germs of modern civilizations." Gibbon called those eight days in 732, the week leading up to Tours, and the battle itself, "the events that rescued our ancestors of Britain, and our neighbors of Gaul [France], from the civil and religious yoke of the Koran." Paul Akers, in his editorial on Charles Martel, says for those who value Christianity "you might spare a minute sometime today, and every October, to say a silent 'thank you' to a gang of half-savage Germans and especially to their leader, Charles 'The Hammer' Martel."
In his vision of what would be necessary for him to withstand a larger force and superior technology (the Muslim horsemen had adopted the armour and accutraments of heavy cavalry from the Sassanid Warrior Class, which made the first knights possible), he, daring not to send his few horsemen against the Islamic cavalry, used his army to fight in a formation used by the ancient GreeksAncient Greece
Ancient Greece is the period in Greek history which lasted for around one thousand years and ended with the rise of Christia...
to withstand superior numbers and weapons by discipline, courage, and a willingness to die for their cause: a phalanx. He had trained a core of his men year round, using mostly Church funds, and some had literally been with him since his earliest days after his father's death. It was this hard core of disciplined veterans that won the day for him at Tours. Hanson emphasizes that Martel's greatest accomplishment as a General may have been his ability to keep his troops under control. This absolute iron discipline saved his infantry from the fate of so many infantrymen - such as the Saxons at Hastings - who broke formation and were slaughtered piecemeal. After using this infantry force by itself at Tours, he studied the foe's forces and further adapted to them, initially using stirrups and saddles recovered from the foe's dead horses, and armour from the dead horsemen.
Development of heavy cavalry
After 732, he began the integration into his army of heavy cavalry, using the armour and accoutrements of heavy armoured horsemen, training his infantry to fight in conjunction with cavalry, a tactic which stood him in good stead during his campaigns of 736-737, especially at the Battle of Narbonne. His incorporation of heavy armoured cavalry into the western forces created the first "knights" in the west.
Brilliant generalship
Martel earned his reputation for brilliant generalship, in an age generally bereft of same, by his ability to use what he had and by integrating new ideas and technology. As a consequence, he was undefeated from 716 to his death against a wide range of opponents, including the Muslim cavalry (at that time, the world's best) and the fierce barbarian Saxons on his own borders -- and all this in spite of virtually always being outnumbered. He was the only general in the Middle Ages in Europe to use the eastern battle technique of feigned retreat. His ability to attack where he was least expected and when he was least expected was legendary. The process of the development of the famous chivalry of France continued in the Edict of Pistres
Edict of Pistres
The Edict of Pistres is often held up as one of the few examples, if not the sole example, of good government from Charles t...
of his great-great-grandson and namesake Charles the BaldCharles the Bald
Charles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and king of West Francia , was the youngest son of Emperor Louis the Pious, by his ...
.
The defeats Martel inflicted on the Muslims were vital in that the split in the Islamic world left the CaliphateCaliphate
A caliphate, , is the Islamic form of government representing the political unity and leadership of the Muslim world....
unable to mount an all out attack on Europe via its Iberian stronghold after 750750
Events...
. His ability to meet this challenge, until the Muslims self-destructed, is considered by most historians to be of macrohistorical importance, and is why Dante
DANTE
DANTE is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the var...
writes of him in Heaven as one of the "Defenders of the Faith." After 750, the door to western Europe, the Iberian emirate, was in the hands of the Umayyads, while most of the remainder of the Muslim world came under the control of the Abbasids, making an invasion of Europe a logistical impossibility while the two Muslim empires battled. This put off Islamic invasion of Europe until the TurkishOttoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire , is also sometimes known in the West as the Turkish Empire....
conquest of the BalkansBalkans
The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe a region of southeastern Europe....
half a millennium later.
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was a British writer best known for his science fiction novels such as The Time Machine, The War...
says of Charles Martel's decisive defeat of the Muslims in his "Short History of the World:
"The Moslim when they crossed the Pyrenees in 720 found this Frankish kingdom under the practical rule of Charles Martel, the Mayor of the Palace of a degenerate descendant of Clovis, and experienced the decisive defeat of Poitiers (732) at his hands. This Charles Martel was practically overlord of Europe north of the Alps from the Pyrenees to Hungary."
John H. Haaren says in “Famous Men of the Middle Ages”
”The battle of Tours, or Poitiers, as it should be called, is regarded as one of the decisive battles of the world. It decided that Christians, and not Moslems, should be the ruling power in Europe. Charles Martel is especially celebrated as the hero of this battle.”
Just as his grandson, Charlemagne, would become famous for his swift and unexpected movements in his campaigns, Charles was legendary for never doing what his enemies forecast he would do. It was this ability to do the unforeseen, and move far faster than his opponents believed he could, that characterized the military career of Charles Martel.
It is notable that the Northmen did not begin their European raids until after the death of Martel's grandson, Charlemagne. They had the naval capacity to begin those raids at least three generations earlier, but chose not to challenge Martel, his son Pippin, or his grandson, Charlemagne. This was probably fortunate for Martel, who despite his enormous gifts, would probably not have been able to repel the Vikings in addition to the Muslims, Saxons, and everyone else he defeated. However, it is notable that again, despite the ability to do so, (the Danes had constructed defenses to defend from counterattacks by land, and had the ability to launch their wholesale sea raids as early as Martel's reign), they chose not to challenge Charles Martel.
Conclusion
J.M. Roberts says of Charles Martel in his note on the Carolingians on page 315 of his 1993 History of the World:
It (the Carolingian line) produced Charles Martel, the soldier who turned the Arabs back at Tours, and the supporter of Saint Boniface, the Evangelizer of Germany. This is a considerable double mark to have left on the history of Europe."
Gibbon perhaps summarized Charles Martel's legacy most eloquently: "in a laborious administration of 24 years he had restored and supported the dignity of the throne..by the activity of a warrior who in the same campaign could display his banner on the Elbe, the Rhone, and shores of the ocean."
Family and children
Charles Martel married twice:
His first wife was Rotrude of Treves, (daughter of St. Leutwinus, Bishop of Treves). They had the following children:
HiltrudHiltrud
Hiltrud is a daughter of Charles Martel and Rotrude of Treves....
(d. 754), married Odilo IOdilo of Bavaria
Odilo, of the house of Agilolfing, ruled Bavaria from 736 until his death in 748, succeeding Duke Hugbert of Bavaria....
, Duke of Bavaria
Carloman, son of Charles Martel
Carloman was the son of Charles Martel, major domo or mayor of the palace and duke of the Franks, and his wife Chrotrud....
Landrade (Landres), married Sigrand, Count of Hesbania
Auda, Aldana, or Alane, married Thierry IV, Count of Autun and Toulouse
Pippin el Corto
Su segunda esposa fue Swanhild
Swanachild fue la segunda esposa de Carlos Martel, quien la trajo de vuelta de su primera campaña en Baviera en 725, junto con...
. Tuvieron el siguiente hijo:
Grifo
Grifo era el hijo del mayordomo mayor franco Charles Martel y su segunda esposa Swanahild.
Charles Martel también tuvo una amante, Ruodhaid
Ruodhaid fue una concubina o amante de Charles Martel con quien tuvo los siguientes hijos:...
. Tuvieron los siguientes hijos:
Bernardo (n. antes de 732-787)
Hieronymus
Remigio de Ruán
Remigius o Remedius era el hijo ilegítimo de Charles Martel y probablemente Ruodhaid.
, arzobispo de RouenArzobispo de Rouen
El arzobispo de Rouen es primado de Normandía y uno de los quince arzobispos de Francia.
(d. 771)
IanIan
"Ian" es la versión gaélica escocesa de John.
(d. 783)
Antepasados
Enlaces externos
Ian Meadows, 'Los árabes en Occitania': Un boceto que da el contexto del conflicto desde el punto de vista árabe.
http://www.standin.se/fifteen07a.htm Edición de Poke de las "15 batallas más importantes jamás peleadas según Edward Shepherd Creasy" de Creasy, capítulo VII. La batalla de Tours, 732 d.C.
Richard Hooker, 'La Guerra Civil y los Omeyas'
La batalla de Tours 732, de la "Biblioteca Virtual JudíaBiblioteca Virtual Judía
La Biblioteca Virtual Judía es una enciclopedia en línea publicada por la Empresa Cooperativa Estadounidense-Israelí.
" sitio web: Una división de la Cooperativa Americano-Israelí.
Tours, Poiters, de "Leaders and Battles Database" en línea.
Robert W. Martin, 'La batalla de Tours todavía se siente hoy', de about.com About.com
About.com es una red de sitios sobre aproximadamente 540 temas que se basa en "Guías" humanas pagadas para cubrir un tema específico al proporcionar ...
Libro de consulta medieval: árabes, francos y la batalla de Tours, 732
Arabs, Franks, and the Battle of Tours, 732: Three Accounts from the Internet Medieval Sourcebook
Libro de consulta medieval: Gregorio II a Carlos Martel, 739
Fundación para la Genealogía Medieval
Carlos Martel (latín: Carolus Martellus) (ca. 688 – 22 de octubre de 741),
Martel nació en Herstal, en la actual Bélgica, hijo ilegítimo del alcalde y duque Pipino II y su concubina Alpaida.
Familia y niños
Charles Martel se casó dos veces:
Su primera esposa fue Rotrudis de Treves, (690-724) (hija de San Leutwinus, obispo de Treves). Tuvieron los siguientes hijos:
* Hiltrud (d. 754), married Odilo I, Duke of Bavaria
* Carloman
* Landrade (Landres), casada con Sigrand, conde de Hesbania
* Auda, Aldana o Alane, casada con Thierry IV, conde de Autun y Toulouse
* Pipino el Breve
Su segunda esposa fue Swanhild. Tuvieron el siguiente hijo:
* Grifo
Charles Martel también tuvo una amante, Ruodhaid. Tuvieron los siguientes hijos:
* Bernard (b. before 732-787)
* Hieronymus * Remigius
, arzobispo de Rouen (m. 771) * Ian (m. 783) Llamado Carlos el Martillo, fue un líder militar y político franco, que sirvió como alcalde del palacio bajo los reyes merovingios y gobernó de facto durante un interregno (737-43)
al final de su vida, usando el título de duque y príncipe de los francos.
In 739 he was offered the title of Consul by the Pope, but he refused.[6] He is perhaps best remembered for winning the Battle of Tours in 732, in which he defeated an invading Muslim army and halted northward Islamic expansion in western Europe.
A brilliant general—he lost only one battle in his career (the Battle of Cologne)
Painting:
Charles Martel is primarily famous for his victory at the Battle of Tours, his stopping the Umayyad invasions of Europe during the Muslim Expansion Era, and his laying the foundation for the Carolingian Empire. (oil on canvas, painted by Charles de Steuben from 1834 till 1837)
Charles Martel (Latin: Carolus Martellus)
(ca. 688 – 22 October 741), called Charles the Hammer,
was a Frankish military and political leader, who served as Mayor of the Palace under the Merovingian kings and ruled de facto during an interregnum (737–43)
at the end of his life, using the title Duke and Prince of the Franks.
In 739 he was offered the title of Consul by the Pope, but he refused.
He is perhaps best remembered for winning the Battle of Tours in 732, in which he defeated an invading Muslim army and halted northward Islamic expansion in western Europe.
A brilliant general—he lost only one battle in his career (the Battle of Cologne)—he is a founding figure of the Middle Ages, often credited with a seminal role
in the development of feudalism and knighthood, and laying the groundwork for the Carolingian Empire.
He was also the grandfather of Charlemagne.
BIRTH AND YOUTH
Martel was born in Herstal, in present-day Belgium,
the illegitimate son of the mayor and duke Pippin II and his concubine Alpaida.
The following tale is told of Charles and of the origins of his name: in 676, Pepin of Herstal and his wife
Plectrude were talking together in a room when they were intruded upon by a messenger, bringing news
that the Mayor's mistress, Alpaida,had given birth to a son at Herstal.
The messenger, fearful of arousing the wrath of Plectrude,
decided not to announce the news directly.
Instead, he said: "Long live the king, it is a carl" ('man').
Pepin, equally cautious of his wife, dismissed the messenger as follows: "A carl, is it? Then let him be called that."
This was done, and, so legend claims, the child was named "Carl". In German-speaking countries he is known as Karl Martell.
Alpaida also bore Pepin another son, Childebrand.
CONTESTING FOR POWER
THE FRANKISH KINGDOMS
At the time of the death of Pepin of Heristal.
Note that Aquitaine (yellow) was outside of Arnulfing authority and Neustria and Burgundy (pink)
were united in opposition to further
Arnulfing dominance of the highest offices.
Only Austrasia (green) supported an Arnulfing mayor,
first Theudoald then Charles.
Note that the German duchies to the east of the Rhine
were de facto outside of Frankish suzerainty at this time.
In December 714, Pepin of Heristal died.
Prior to his death, he had, at his wife Plectrude's urging,
designated Theudoald, his grandson by their son Grimoald, his heir in the entire realm.
This was immediately opposed by the nobles because Theudoald was a child of only eight years of age.
To prevent Charles using this unrest to his own advantage, Plectrude had him gaoled in Cologne,
the city which was destined to be her capital.
This prevented an uprising on his behalf in Austrasia, but not in Neustria.Civil war of 715-718
In 715, the Neustrian noblesse proclaimed Ragenfrid mayor of their palace on behalf of, and apparently with the support of Dagobert III, the young king, who in theory had the legal authority to select a mayor, though by this time the Merovingian dynasty had lost most such powers.
The Austrasians were not to be left supporting a woman and her young son for long.
Before the end of the year, Charles Martel had escaped from prison and been acclaimed mayor by the nobles of that kingdom.
The Neustrians had been attacking Austrasia and the nobles were waiting for a strong man to lead them against their invading countrymen.
That year, Dagobert died and the Neustrians proclaimed Chilperic II king without the support of the rest of the Frankish people.
In 717, Chilperic and Ragenfrid together led an army into Austrasia.
The Neustrians allied with another invading force under Radbod, King of the Frisians and met Charles in battle
near Cologne, which was still held by Plectrude.
Charles had little time to gather men, or prepare, and the result was the only defeat of his life.
According to Strauss and Gustave, Martel fought a brilliant battle, but realized he could not prevail because he was outnumbered so badly, and retreated. In fact, he fled the field as soon as he realized he did not have the time or the men to prevail, retreating to the mountains
of the Eifel to gather men, and train them.
The king and his mayor then turned to besiege their other rival in the city and took it and the treasury,
and received the recognition of both Chilperic as king and Ragenfrid as mayor.
Plectrude surrendered on Theudoald's behalf.
Magnanimous in victory
At this juncture, however, events turned in favour of Charles.
Having made the proper preparations, he fell upon the triumphant army near Malmedy as it was returning to its own province, and, in the ensuing Battle of Amblève,
routed it and the few troops who were not killed or surrendered, fled.
Several things were notable about this battle, in which Charles set the pattern for the remainder of his military career:
First, he appeared where his enemies least expected him, while they were marching triumphantly home and far outnumbered him.
He also attacked when least expected, at midday, when armies of that era traditionally were resting.
Finally, he attacked them how they least expected it, by feigning a retreat to draw his opponents into a trap.
The feigned retreat, next to unknown in Western Europe at that time—it was a traditionally eastern tactic—required both extraordinary discipline on the part of the troops and exact timing on the part of their commander.
Charles, in this battle, had begun demonstrating the military genius that would mark his rule, in that he never attacked his enemies where, when, or how they expected, and the result was an unbroken victory streak
that lasted until his death.
In Spring 717, Charles returned to Neustria with an army and confirmed his supremacy with a victory at the Battle of Vincy, near Cambrai.
He chased the fleeing king and mayor to Paris, before turning back to deal with Plectrude and Cologne.
He took her city and dispersed her adherents.
However, he allowed both Plectrude and the young Theudoald to live and treated them with kindness
—unusual for those Dark Ages, when mercy to a former jailer, or a potential rival, was rare.
On this success, he proclaimed Clotaire IV king of Austrasia in opposition to Chilperic and deposed the archbishop of Rheims, Rigobert, replacing him with Milo,
a lifelong supporter.
CONSOLIDATION OF POWER
After subjugating all Austrasia, he marched against Radbod and pushed him back into his territory,
even forcing the concession of West Frisia (later Holland).
He also sent the Saxons back over the Weser and thus secured his borders—in the name of the new king Clotaire, of course.
In 718, Chilperic responded to Charles' new ascendancy by making an alliance with Odo the Great (or Eudes, as he is sometimes known), the duke of Aquitaine, who had made himself independent during the civil war in 715,
but was again defeated, at the Battle of Soissons, by Charles.
The king fled with his ducal ally to the land south of the Loire and Ragenfrid fled to Angers.
Soon Clotaire IV died and Odo gave up on Chilperic and, in exchange for recognising his dukedom, surrendered the king to Charles, who recognised his kingship over all the Franks in return for legitimate royal affirmation of his mayoralty, likewise over all the kingdoms (718).
The Saracen Army outside Paris, 730-32 AD
Foreign wars from 718-732
The ensuing years were full of strife. between 718 and 723, Charles secured his power through a series of victories: he won the loyalty of several important bishops
and abbots (by donating lands and money for the foundation of abbeys such as Echternach),he subjugated Bavaria and Alemannia, and he defeated the pagan Saxons.
Having unified the Franks under his banner, Charles was determined to punish the Saxons who had invaded Austrasia.
Therefore, late in 718, he laid waste their country to the banks of the Weser, the Lippe, and the Ruhr.
He defeated them in the Teutoburg Forest.
In 719, Charles seized West Frisia without any great resistance on the part of the Frisians, who had been subjects of the Franks but had seized control upon the death of Pippin.
Although Charles did not trust the pagans, their ruler, Aldegisel, accepted Christianity, and Charles sent Willibrord, bishop of Utrecht, the famous "Apostle to the Frisians" to convert the people.
Charles also did much to support Winfrid, later Saint Boniface, the "Apostle of the Germans."
When Chilperic II died the following year (720),
Charles appointed as his successor the son of Dagobert III, Theuderic IV, who was still a minor, and who occupied the throne from 720 to 737.
Charles was now appointing the kings whom he supposedly served, rois fainéants who were mere puppets in his hands; by the end of his reign they were so useless
that he didn't even bother appointing one.
At this time, Charles again marched against the Saxons. Then the Neustrians rebelled under Ragenfrid, who had left the county of Anjou.
They were easily defeated (724), but Ragenfrid gave up his sons as hostages in turn for keeping his county.
This ended the civil wars of Charles' reign.
The next six years were devoted in their entirety to assuring Frankish authority over the dependent Germanic tribes.
Between 720 and 723, Charles was fighting in Bavaria,
where the Agilolfing dukes had gradually evolved into independent rulers, recently in alliance with Liutprand the Lombard.
He forced the Alemanni to accompany him, and Duke Hugbert submitted to Frankish suzerainty.
In 725 and 728, he again entered Bavaria and the ties of lordship seemed strong.
From his first campaign, he brought back the Agilolfing princess Swanachild, who apparently became his concubine.
In 730, he marched against Lantfrid, duke of Alemannia,
who had also become independent, and killed him in battle.
He forced the Alemanni capitulation to Frankish suzerainty and did not appoint a successor to Lantfrid.
Thus, southern Germany once more became part of the Frankish kingdom, as had northern Germany during the first years of the reign.
But by 730, his own realm secure, Charles began to prepare exclusively for the coming storm from the south and west.
In 721, the emir of Córdoba had built up a strong army from Morocco, Yemen, and Syria to conquer Aquitaine,
the large duchy in the southwest of Gaul, nominally under Frankish sovereignty, but in practice almost independent
in the hands of the Odo the Great, the Duke of Aquitaine,
since the Merovingian kings had lost power.
The invading Muslims besieged the city of Toulouse,
then Aquitaine's most important city, and Odo (also called Eudes, or Eudo) immediately left to find help.
He returned three months later just before the city was about to surrender and defeated the Muslim invaders on June 9, 721, at what is now known as the Battle of Toulouse.
This critical defeat was essentially the result of a classic enveloping movement by Odo's forces.
(After Odo originally fled, the Muslims became overconfident and, instead of maintaining strong outer defenses around their siege camp and continuous scouting, they did neither.)
Thus, when Odo returned, he was able to launch a near complete surprise attack on the besieging force,
scattering it at the first attack, and slaughtering units caught resting or that fled without weapons or armour.
Due to the situation in Iberia, Martel believed he needed a virtually fulltime army—one he could train intensely
—as a core of veteran Franks who would be augmented with the usual conscripts called up in time of war.
(During the Early Middle Ages, troops were only available after the crops had been planted and before harvesting time.)
To train the kind of infantry that could withstand the Muslim heavy cavalry, Charles needed them year-round,
and he needed to pay them so their families could buy the food they would have otherwise grown.
To obtain money he seized church lands and property, and used the funds to pay his soldiers.
The same Charles who had secured the support of the ecclesia by donating land, seized some of it back between 724 and 732.
Of course, Church officials were enraged, and, for a time, it looked as though Charles might even be excommunicated for his actions.
But then came a significant invasion.
EVE OF TOURS
Historian Paul K. Davis said in 100 Decisive Battles "Having defeated Eudes, he turned to the Rhine to strengthen his northeastern borders - but in 725 was diverted south with the activity of the Muslims in Acquitane."
Martel then concentrated his attention to the Umayyads, virtually for the remainder of his life.
De hecho, 12 años después, cuando había rescatado tres veces a la Galia de las invasiones omeyas, Antonio Santosuosso señaló:
cuando destruyó un ejército omeya enviado para reforzar las fuerzas de invasión de las campañas de 735, "Charles Martel".
de nuevo vino al rescate".
Se ha observado que Carlos Martel podría haber perseguido las guerras contra los sajones, pero estaba decidido a prepararse para lo que pensaba que era un peligro mayor.
También es vital tener en cuenta que los musulmanes no eran conscientes,
en ese momento, de la verdadera fuerza de los francos, o del hecho de que estaban construyendo un ejército real en lugar de las típicas hordas bárbaras que habían dominado Europa después de la caída de Roma.
Consideraban a las tribus germánicas, incluidos los francos, simplemente bárbaros y no estaban particularmente preocupados por ellos.
Las Crónicas árabes, la historia de esa época, muestran que la conciencia árabe de los francos como una potencia militar en crecimiento llegó solo después de la Batalla de Tours cuando el califa expresó su conmoción por la catastrófica derrota de su ejército.
BATALLA DE TOURS
Preparación e importancia"Fue bajo uno de sus más capaces
y los comandantes más reconocidos, con un ejército veterano,
y con todas las ventajas aparentes de tiempo, lugar,
y circunstancia, que los árabes hicieron su gran esfuerzo
en la conquista de Europa al norte de los Pirineos".
—Edward Shepherd Creasy , The Fifteen Decisive
BATALLAS DEL MUNDO
El emirato cordobés había invadido previamente la Galia
y había sido detenido en su barrido hacia el norte en la batalla de Toulouse, en 721.
El héroe de ese evento menos celebrado había sido Odón el Grande, duque de Aquitania, que no era el progenitor de una raza de reyes y patrón de los cronistas.
Anteriormente se ha explicado cómo Odo derrotó a los musulmanes invasores, pero cuando regresaron,
Las cosas eran muy diferentes.
La llegada en el ínterin de un nuevo emir de Córdoba, Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, que trajo consigo una fuerza enorme
de árabes y jinetes bereberes, desencadenó una invasión mucho mayor.
Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi había estado en Toulouse, y las crónicas árabes dejan claro que se había opuesto firmemente
la decisión del emir de no asegurar las defensas exteriores contra una fuerza de socorro, lo que permitió a Odo y su fuerza de socorro atacar con impunidad antes de que la caballería islámica pudiera reunirse o montar.
Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi no tenía intención de permitir que se volviera a cometer un desastre de este tipo.
Esta vez los jinetes omeyas estaban listos para la batalla,
y los resultados fueron horribles para los aquitanos.
Odo, el héroe de Toulouse, fue derrotado en la invasión musulmana de 732 en la batalla anterior al saqueo musulmán de Burdeos, y cuando reunió un segundo ejército, en la batalla del río Garona.
—los cronistas occidentales afirman: "Sólo Dios sabe el número de muertos"— y la ciudad de Burdeos fue saqueada y saqueada.
Odo huyó a Charles, buscando ayuda.
Carlos aceptó acudir al rescate de Odo, siempre que Odo reconociera a Carlos y su casa como sus señores,
lo que Odo hizo formalmente de inmediato.
Charles era pragmático; mientras que la mayoría de los comandantes
Nunca usarían a sus enemigos en la batalla, Odón y sus nobles aquitanos restantes formaron el flanco derecho de las fuerzas de Carlos en Tours.
La batalla de Tours le valió a Carlos el cognomen "Martel" ('Martillo'), por la forma despiadada en que golpeó a sus enemigos.
Después de Tours en la década siguiente, Carlos dirigió el ejército franco contra los ducados orientales, Baviera y Alemannia, y los ducados del sur, Aquitania y Provenza.
Lidió con el conflicto en curso con los frisones y sajones al noreste con cierto éxito, pero la conquista completa de los sajones y su incorporación al imperio franco esperaría a su nieto Carlomagno, principalmente porque Martel se concentró.
la mayor parte de sus esfuerzos contra la expansión musulmana.
Así que en lugar de concentrarse en la conquista a su este, continuó expandiendo la autoridad franca en el oeste, y negando al Emirato de Córdoba un punto de apoyo en Europa más allá de Al-Andalus.
Después de su victoria en Tours, Martel continuó en campañas en 736 y 737 para expulsar a otros ejércitos musulmanes.
from bases in Gaul after they again attempted to get a foothold in Europe beyond Al-Andalus.
WARS FROM 732-737
Between his victory of 732 and 735, Charles reorganized the kingdom of Burgundy, replacing the counts and dukes
with his loyal supporters, thus strengthening his hold on power.
He was forced, by the ventures of Radbod, duke of the Frisians (719-734),
From the Geni profile ...- Added by: Jean Paul Ancey on January 25, 2007
- Managed by: Margaret, (C) and 739 others
- Curated by: Sharon Doubell •http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=MAR&GSpartial...
Charles "The Hammer" Martel was the defacto King of the Franks from 737-741 (Officially he was Duke and Prince of the Franks). He was also known as a great general, and is most famous for his victory at the Battle of Tours, in which he defeated an invading Muslim army and halted northward Islamic expansion in western Europe.
Please add to Discussion if you want to change the locked naming fields.
Martel was the son of Pepin II and his concubine, Alpaida.
Around 670, Pepin had married Plectrude, who had inherited substantial estates in the Moselle region. She was the mother of Drogo of Champag
Birth: Aug. 23, 676 Death: Oct. 22, 741Monarca franco. El abuelo de Carlomagno, es mejor recordado por ganar la Batalla de Tours en 732, que impidió que el avance musulmán llegara más lejos en Europa que España. Su ejército franco derrotó a un ejército árabe y bereber que luchaba para difundir el Islam, que se había extendido por el sur de Asia y el norte de África, antes de conquistar la mayor parte de la península ibérica y gran parte del sur de Francia. Aunque los francos tardaron otras dos generaciones en expulsar a todas las guarniciones árabes de lo que hoy es Francia y a través de los Pirineos, la detención de Carlos Martel de la invasión de suelo francés hizo que la invasión de suelo francés cambiara la
Charles "Martel", Mayor of the Palace MP
Dutch: Karel "Martel", hofmeier van het Frankische Rijk, French: Charles "Martel", Duc des Austrasiens, Prince des Français, German: Karl "Martell", fränkischer Hausmeier, Latin: Carolus "Martellus", Maior domus, Russian: Карл Мартелл, Mayor of the Palace
Gender: Male
Birth: August 23, 676
Herstal, Liege, Walloon Region, Belgium
Death: October 22, 741 (65)
Quierzy, Aisne, Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie, France
Place of Burial: Basilica Cathedral of Saint Denis, Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Île-de-France, France
Immediate Family:
Son of Pépin ll "the Fat" d'Héristal, Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia and Alpais
Husband of Rotrude and Swanachilde of the Bavarians
Partner of Ruodhaid
Father of Carloman, King of the Franks; Pépin III, King of the Franks; Hiltrud I d'Austrasie, Duchess of Bavaria; Bernard, count & Abbot of St. Quentin; Remigius Archbishop des Rouen and 3 others
Half brother of Drogo, duc de Champagne et Bourgogne; Grimoald II the Younger and Sylvius Van Heristal, Bishop
Added by: Jean Paul Ancey on January 25, 2007
Managed by: Guillermo Eduardo Ferrero Montilla and 818 others
Curated by: Sharon Doubell
0 Matches
Research this Person
Contact Profile Managers
View Tree
Edit Profile
Confirmed Matches1 confirmed match
Charles Martel in Biographical Summaries of Notable People
Overview
Media (195)
Timeline
Discussions (14)
Sources (3)
Revisions
DNA
About View in:
English (default) edit | history
http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/FRANKSMaiordomi.htm#_Toc143752561
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=MAR&GSpartial...
Charles "The Hammer" Martel was the defacto King of the Franks from 737-741 (Officially he was Duke and Prince of the Franks). He was also known as a great general, and is most famous for his victory at the Battle of Tours, in which he defeated an invading Muslim army and halted northward Islamic expansion in western Europe.
Please add to Discussion if you want to change the locked naming fields.
Martel was the son of Pepin II and his concubine, Alpaida.
Around 670, Pepin had married Plectrude, who had inherited substantial estates in the Moselle region. She was the mother of Drogo of Champagne and Grimoald, both of whom died before their father. However, Pepin also had a mistress named Alpaida (or Chalpaida) who bore him two more sons: Charles and Childebrand. Charles had gained favor among the Austrasians, primarily for his military prowess and ability to keep them well supplied with booty from his conquests. Despite the efforts of Plectrude to silence her rival's child by imprisoning him, he became the sole mayor of the palace --and de facto ruler of Francia-- after a civil war which lasted for more than three years after Pepin's death.
Martel was also grandfather to Charlemagne.
Charles Martel married twice:
His first wife was Rotrude of Treves, (690-724) (daughter of St. Leutwinus, Bishop of Treves). They had the following children:
Hiltrud (d. 754), married Odilo I, Duke of Bavaria
Carloman
Landrade (Landres), married Sigrand, Count of Hesbania
Auda, Aldana, or Alane, married Thierry IV, Count of Autun and Toulouse
Pippin the Short
His second wife was Swanhild. They had the following child:
* Grifo
Charles Martel also had a mistress, Ruodhaid. They had the following children:
* Bernard (b. before 732-787)
* Hieronymus
* Remigius, archbishop of Rouen (d. 771)
* Ian (d. 783)
notes or source:
The Paternal Ancestry of Homer Beers James
http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/f/o/n/Emmett-W-Fontaine/GENE20...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Martel
Maire du Palais D'Austrasie, Duc Des Francs
Carlos Martel (*Heristal, Bélgica, 23 de agosto de 686 – 22 de octubre de 741) fue Mayordomo de palacio del reino de Austrasia desde el año 715 hasta su muerte. Era hijo no matrimonial de Pipino de Heristal (llamado el Joven o Pipino II) y de su concubina Alpaïde de Bruyères.
CHARLES MARTEL
[O.Fr.,=Charles the Hammer], 688?–741, Frankish ruler, illegitimate son of Pepin of Heristal and grandfather of Charlemagne. After the death of his father (714) he seized power in Austrasia from Pepin's widow, who was ruling as regent for her grandsons, and became mayor of the palace. He subsequently subdued the W Frankish kingdom of Neustria and began the reconquest of Burgundy, Aquitaine, and Provence. Charles Martel defeated the Spanish Muslims at the battle of Tours (732–33) and began the military campaigns that reestablished the Franks as the rulers of Gaul. Although he never assumed the title of king, he divided the Frankish lands, like a king, between his sons Pepin the Short and Carloman.
See F. Lot, The End of the Ancient World and the Beginnings of the Middle Ages (1927, tr. 1961); E. James, The Origins of France: Clovis and the Capetians, a.d. 500–1000 (1982).
____________________
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright© 2004, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V. All rights reserved.
Charles "The Hammer" Martel (, ) (ca. 688688
Events...
– 22 October 741 Summary
Sorry, no overview for this topic
) was proclaimed Mayor of the Palace and ruled the Franks in the name of a titular King. Late in his reign he proclaimed himself Duke of the FranksFacts About Duke of the Franks
The title dux et princeps Francorum, or duke and prince of the Franks, was the title adopted by Pepin of Heristal ...
(the last four years of his reign he did not even bother with the façade of a King) and by any name was de facto ruler of the Frankish Realms. In 739739
Events...
he was offered an office of Roman consulRoman consul
Consul was the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic and the Empire....
by the Pope, which he rejected possibly not to conflict with Theodatus Ursus who already occupied the office by appointment of the Byzantine emperor Leo III the IsaurianLeo III the Isaurian
Leo III the Isaurian or the Syrian , was Byzantine emperor from 717 until his death in 741....
. He expanded his rule over all three of the FrankishFranks
The Franks or the Frankish people were one of several west Germanic federations....
kingdoms: Austrasia
Austrasia formed the north-eastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of pr...
, Neustria
The territory of Neustria originated in 511, made up of the regions from Aquitaine to the English Channel, approximating mos...
and BurgundyFacts About Burgundy
Burgundy is a historic region of France, inhabited in turn by Pre-Indo-European people, Celts , Romans , and various German...
. Martel was born in Herstal
Herstal is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Lige....
, in present-day BelgiumBelgium
The Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France and is...
, the illegitimate son of Pippin the MiddlePippin of Herstal
Pippin of Herstal , also known as Pippin the Middle, Pippin the Younger , or Pippin II, was the grandson ...
and his concubine Alpaida
Alpaida was also known as Chalpaida....
(or Chalpaida). He was described by Louis Gustave and Charles Strauss in their book "Moslem and Frank; or, Charles Martel and the rescue of Europe" as a tall, powerfully built man, who was more agile than his size would lead men to believe.
He is best remembered for winning the Battle of ToursBattle of Tours
The Battle of Tours , often called Battle of Poitiers and also called in Arabic The Court of Martyrs was fought n...
in 732732
732 is also an area code in the state of New Jersey....
, which has traditionally been characterized as an event that halted the Islamic expansionism in EuropeEurope Overview
Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth....
that had conquered IberiaIberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe....
. "Charles's victory has often been regarded as decisive for world history, since it preserved western Europe from Muslim conquest and Islamization."
In addition to being the leader of the army that prevailed at Tours, Charles Martel was a truly giant figure of the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three "ages": the clas...
. A brilliant general, he is considered the forefather of western heavy cavalryHeavy cavalry
Heavy cavalry refers to heavily armed and armoured mounted troops, as opposed to light cavalry, in which the riders are rela...
, chivalryChivalry
Chivalry refers to the medieval institution of knighthood and, most especially, the ideals that were associated with it....
, founder of the Carolingian EmpireFacts About Carolingian Empire
The term Carolingian Empire is sometimes used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the dynasty of the Carolingians....
(which was named after him), and a catalyst for the feudal systemFeudalism
Feudalism refers to a general set of reciprocal legal and military obligations among the warrior nobility of Europe during t...
, which would see Europe through the Middle Ages. Although some recent scholars have suggested he was more of a beneficiary of the feudal system than a knowing agent for social change, others continue to see him as the primary catalyst for the feudal systemFeudalism Summary
Feudalism refers to a general set of reciprocal legal and military obligations among the warrior nobility of Europe during t...
.
Birth and Youth
The following tale is told of Charles, and the origins of his name: in 686, Pippin II and his wife Plectrude were talking together in a room when they were intruded upon by a messenger, bringing news that the Mayor's mistress, Alpaida
Alpaida was also known as Chalpaida....
, had given birth to a son at Herstal.The messenger, fearful of arousing the wrath of Plectrude, decided not to announce the news directly. Instead, he said: "Long live the king, it is a carl" ('man'). Pippin, equally cautious of his wife, dismissed the messenger as follows: "A carl, is it? Then let him be called that." This was done, and, so legend claims, the child was named "Carl". Alpaida also bore Pippin another son, Childebrand.
Contesting for power
In December 714, Pippin the Middle died. Prior to his death, he had, at his wife Plectrude
Plectrude or Plectrudis was the wife of Pepin of Heristal, the mayor of the palace and duke of the Franks, from about ...
's urging, designated Theudoald
Theudoald or Theodald was the mayor of the palace, briefly unopposed in 714 until Ragenfrid was acclaimed in Neustria ...
, his grandson by their son Grimoald, his heir in the entire realm. This was immediately opposed by the nobles because Theudoald was a child of only eight years of age. To prevent Charles using this unrest to his own advantage, Plectrude had him gaoled (jailed) in CologneCologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, and is the largest city both in the German Feder...
, the city which was destined to be her capital. This prevented an uprising on his behalf in Austrasia
Austrasia formed the north-eastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of pr...
, but not in Neustria
The territory of Neustria originated in 511, made up of the regions from Aquitaine to the English Channel, approximating mos...
.
Civil war of 715-718
In 715715
Events...
, the Neustrian noblesse proclaimed Ragenfrid
Ragenfrid was the mayor of the palace of Neustria and Burgundy from 715, when he filled the vacuum in Neustria caused by the...
mayor of their palace on behalf of, and apparently with the support of, Dagobert III
Dagobert III was Merovingian king of the Franks....
, the young king, who in theory had the legal authority to select a mayor, though by this time the MerovingianMerovingian
The Merovingians were a dynasty of Frankish kings who ruled a frequently fluctuating area in parts of present-day France and...
dynasty had lost most such powers.
The Austrasians were not to be left supporting a woman and her young son for long. Before the end of the year, Charles Martel had escaped from prison and been acclaimed mayor by the nobles of that kingdom. The Neustrians had been attacking Austrasia and the nobles were waiting for a strong man to lead them against their invading countrymen. That year, Dagobert died and the Neustrians proclaimed Chilperic IIChilperic II
Chilperic II, born Daniel, the youngest son of Childeric II, was king of Neustria from 715 and sole king of the Franks...
king without the support of the rest of the Frankish people.
In 716716
For the area code see Area code 716 ...
, Chilperic and Ragenfrid together led an army into Austrasia. The Neustrians allied with another invading force under Radbod, King of the FrisiansRadbod, King of the Frisians
Radbod was the duke of Frisia from 680 to 719....
and met Charles in battle near Cologne, which was still held by Plectrude. Charles had little time to gather men, or prepare, and the result was his only defeat. According to Strauss and Gustave, Martel fought a brilliant battle, but realized he could not prevail because he was outnumbered so badly, and retreated. In fact, he fled the field as soon as he realized he did not have the time or the men to prevail, retreating to the mountains of the EifelFacts About Eifel
The Eifel is a hilly region in Germany....
to gather men, and train them. The king and his mayor then turned to besiege their other rival in the city and took it and the treasury, and received the recognition of both Chilperic as king and Ragenfrid as mayor. Plectrude surrendered on Theudoald's behalf.
Magnanimous in victory
At this juncture, however, events turned in favour of Charles. Having made the proper preparations, he fell upon the triumphant army near Malmedy
Malmedy is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Lige....
as it was returning to its own province, and, in the ensuing Battle of AmblèveBattle of Amblève
The Battle of Ambl?ve took place in 716 near Amel....
, routed it and it fled. Several things were notable about this battle, in which Charles set the pattern for the remainder of his military career: First, he appeared where his enemies least expected him, while they were marching triumphantly home and far outnumbered him. He also attacked when least expected, at midday, when armies of that era traditionally were resting. Finally, he attacked them how they least expected it, by feigning a retreat to draw his opponents into a trap. The feigned retreat, next to unknown in Western Europe at that time—it was a traditionally eastern tactic—required both extraordinary discipline on the part of the troops and exact timing on the part of their commander. Charles, in this battle, had begun demonstrating the military genius that would mark his rule, in that he never attacked his enemies where, when, or how they expected, and the result was an unbroken victory streak that lasted until his death.
In Spring 717717
Events*March 21 - Battle of Vincy between Charles Martel and Ragenfrid....
, Charles returned to Neustria with an army and confirmed his supremacy with a victory at the Battle of Vincy
The Battle of Vincy was fought at Vincy, near Cambrai, in the modern dpartement of Aisne....
, near Cambrai
Cambrai also written Cambray is a French town and commune, in the Nord dpartement, of which it is a sous-prfectu...
. He chased the fleeing king and mayor to ParisParis
native_name = Ville de Paris|common_name = Paris...
, before turning back to deal with Plectrude and Cologne. He took her city and dispersed her adherents. However, he allowed both Plectrude and the young Theudoald to live and treated them with kindness—unusual for those Dark AgesDark Ages
In historiography the phrase the Dark Ages is most commonly known in relation to the European Early Middle Ages....
, when mercy to a former jailer, or a potential rival, was rare. On this success, he proclaimed Clotaire IV
Clotaire IV, king of Austrasia, was installed by the mayor of the palace, Charles Martel, as an ally during the civil war th...
king of AustrasiaAustrasia Summary
Austrasia formed the north-eastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of pr...
in opposition to Chilperic and deposed the archbishop of Rheims, Rigobert, replacing him with Milo, a lifelong supporter.
Consolidation of power
After subjugating all Austrasia, he marched against Radbod and pushed him back into his territory, even forcing the concession of West Frisia (later HollandHolland
Holland is a region in the central-western part of the Netherlands....
). He also sent the SaxonsSaxons Summary
The Saxons or Saxon people are part of the German people with its main areas of settlements in the German States of S...
back over the Weser and thus secured his borders—in the name of the new king Clotaire, of course.
In 718718 Summary
Events...
, Chilperic responded to Charles' new ascendancy by making an alliance with Odo the Great (or Eudes, as he is sometimes known), the duke of AquitaineFacts About Duke of Aquitaine
The persons who held the title of Duke of Aquitaine ...
, who had made himself independent during the civil war in 715, but was again defeated, at the Battle of SoissonsBattle of Soissons (718)
The Battle of Soissons of 718 was the last of the great pitched battles of the civil war between the heirs of Pepin of Heris...
, by Charles. The king fled with his ducal ally to the land south of the LoireLoire
See also Loire Valley.Loire is a dpartement in the east-central part of France occupying the Loire River's upper r...
and Ragenfrid fled to AngersAngers Overview
Angers is a city in France in the dpartement of Maine-et-Loire, 191 miles south-west of Paris....
. Soon Clotaire IV died and Odo gave up on Chilperic and, in exchange for recognising his dukedom, surrendered the king to Charles, who recognised his kingship over all the Franks in return for legitimate royal affirmation of his mayoralty, likewise over all the kingdoms (718).
Foreign wars from 718-732
The ensuing years were full of strife. Between 718 and 723, Charles secured his power through a series of victories: he won the loyalty of several important bishops and abbots (by donating lands and money for the foundation of abbeys such as Echternach
Echternach is a commune with city status in the canton of Echternach, which is part of the district of Grevenmacher, in east...
), he subjugated BavariaBavaria
The Free State of Bavaria , with an area of 70,553 km and 12.4 million inhabitants, forms the southernmost state...
and Alemannia, and he defeated the pagan SaxonsSaxons
The Saxons or Saxon people are part of the German people with its main areas of settlements in the German States of S...
.
Having unified the Franks under his banner, Charles was determined to punish the Saxons who had invaded Austrasia. Therefore, late in 718, he laid waste their country to the banks of the Weser, the LippeLippe
ame=Lippe|state=North Rhine-Westphalia|...
, and the RuhrFacts About Ruhr
The Ruhr is a medium-size river in western Germany having its source at an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet near the to...
. He defeated them in the Teutoburg ForestTeutoburg Forest
The Teutoburg Forest is a range of low, forested mountains in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, ...
. In 719719
Events...
, Charles seized West Frisia without any great resistance on the part of the FrisiansFrisians
The Frisians are an ethnic group of northwestern Europe, inhabiting an area known as Frisia. ...
, who had been subjects of the Franks but had seized control upon the death of Pippin. Although Charles did not trust the pagans, their ruler, Aldegisel, accepted Christianity, and Charles sent Willibrord
Saint Willibrord was a Northumbrian missionary, known as the Apostle to the Frisians in modern Netherlands....
, bishop of Utrecht, the famous "Apostle to the Frisians" to convert the people. Charles also did much to support Winfrid, later Saint BonifaceFacts About Saint Boniface
Saint Boniface , the Apostle of the Germans, born Winfrid or Wynfrith at Crediton in Devon, England, was a...
, the "Apostle of the Germans."
When Chilperic II died the following year, Charles appointed as his successor the son of Dagobert III, Theuderic IV
Theuderic IV was the Merovingian King of the Franks from 721 until his death in 737....
, who was still a minor, and who occupied the throne from 720 to 737. Charles was now appointing the kings whom he supposedly served, rois fainéants who were mere puppets in his hands; by the end of his reign they were so useless that he didn't even bother appointing one. At this time, Charles again marched against the Saxons. Then the Neustrians rebelled under Ragenfrid, who had been left the county of Anjou. They were easily defeated, but Ragenfrid gave up his sons as hostages in turn for keeping his county. This ended the civil wars of Charles' reign.
The next six years were devoted in their entirety to assuring Frankish authority over the dependent Germanic tribes. Between 720 and 723
Events* Saint Boniface fells Thor's Oak near Fritzlar, marking the decisive event in the Christianization of the northern Germani...
, Charles was fighting in Bavaria, where the Agilolfing dukes had gradually evolved into independent rulers, recently in alliance with Liutprand the Lombard. He forced the Alemanni to accompany him, and Duke Hugbert of Bavaria
Hugbert ' of the Agilolfings was 724 - 736 duke of Bavaria....
submitted to Frankish suzerainty. In 725725
Events...
and 728728 Summary
Events*Liutprand, King of the Lombards occupies all of the exarchate....
, he again entered Bavaria and the ties of lordship seemed strong. From his first campaign, he brought back the Agilolfing princess Swanachild, who apparently became his concubine. In 730730
Events...
, he marched against Lantfrid
Lantfrid was duke of Alamannia under Frankish sovereignty from 709 until his death....
, duke of Alemannia, who had also become independent, and killed him in battle. He forced the Alemanni capitulation to Frankish suzerainty and did not appoint a successor to Lantfrid. Thus, southern Germany once more became part of the Frankish kingdom, as had northern Germany during the first years of the reign.
But by 730, his own realm secure, Charles began to prepare exclusively for the coming storm from the south and west.
In 721721
Events...
, the emir of Córdoba had built up a strong army from Morocco
The Kingdom of Morocco is a country in North Africa....
, Yemen
Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a Middle Eastern country located on the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asi...
, and Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in the Middle East....
to conquer Aquitaine, the large duchy in the southwest of Gaul, nominally under Frankish sovereignty, but in practice almost independent in the hands of the Odo the Great, the Duke of Aquitaine, since the Merovingian kings had lost power. The invading Muslims besieged the city of Toulouse, then Aquitaine's most important city, and Odo (also called Eudes, or Eudo) immediately left to find help. He returned three months later just before the city was about to surrender and defeated the Muslim invaders on June 9, 721
Events...
, at what is now known as the Battle of ToulouseBattle of Toulouse (721)
The Battle of Tolouse was a victory of a Frankish army led by Duke Odo of Aquitaine over an Umayyad army besieging the city ...
. This critical defeat was essentially the result of a classic enveloping movement by Odo's forces. (After Odo originally fled, the Muslims became overconfident and, instead of maintaining strong outer defenses around their siege camp and continuous scouting, they did neither.) Thus, when Odo returned, he was able to launch a near complete surprise attack on the besieging force, scattering it at the first attack, and slaughtering units caught resting or that fled without weapons or armour.
Due to the situation in Iberia, Martel believed he needed a virtually full-time army --one he could train intensely-- as a core of veteran Franks who would be augmented with the usual conscripts called up in time of war. (During the Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages are a period in the history of Europe following the fall of the Western Roman Empire, spanning roughly...
, troops were only available after the crops had been planted and before harvesting time.) To train the kind of infantry that could withstand the Muslim heavy cavalry, Charles needed them year-round, and he needed to pay them so their families could buy the food they would have otherwise grown. To obtain money he seized church lands and property, and used the funds to pay his soldiers. The same Charles who had secured the support of the ecclesia by donating land, seized some of it back between 724 and 732. Of course, Church officials were enraged, and, for a time, it looked as though Charles might even be excommunicated for his actions. But then came a significant invasion.
Eve of Tours
Historian Paul K. DavisPaul K. Davis
Paul K. Davis is an historian specializing in military history....
said in 100 Decisive Battles "Having defeated Eudes, he turned to the Rhine to strengthen his northeastern borders - but in 725 was diverted south with the activity of the Muslims in Acquitane." Martel then concentrated his attention to the Umayyads, virtually for the remainder of his life. Indeed, 12 years later, when he had thrice rescued Gaul from Umayyad invasions, Antonio Santosuosso Summary
Antonio Santosuosso is a Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario....
noted when he destroyed an Umayyad army sent to reinforce the invasion forces of the 735 campaigns, "Charles Martel again came to the rescue". It has been noted that Charles Martel could have pursued the wars against the Saxons—but he was determined to prepare for what he thought was a greater danger.
It is also vital to note that the Muslims were not aware, at that time, of the true strength of the Franks, or the fact that they were building a real army instead of the typical barbarian hordes that had infested Europe after Rome's fall. They considered the Germanic tribes, including the Franks, simply barbarians and were not particularly concerned about them. The Arab Chronicles, the history of that age, show that Arab awareness of the Franks as a growing military power came only after the Battle of Tours when the Caliph expressed shock at his army's catastrophic defeat.
Battle of Tours
Main article Battle of Tours
The Battle of Tours , often called Battle of Poitiers and also called in Arabic The Court of Martyrs was fought n...
.
Lead-up and importance
The CordobaCórdoba, Spain Overview
Crdoba, also called Crdova, is a city in Andaluca, southern Spain, and the capital of the province of Crdoba....
n Emirate
Etymologically an emirate or amirate is the quality, dignity, office or territorial competence of any Emir....
had previously invaded Gaul
Gaul was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, B...
and had been stopped in its northward sweep at the Battle of Toulouse (721)
The Battle of Tolouse was a victory of a Frankish army led by Duke Odo of Aquitaine over an Umayyad army besieging the city ...
, in 721. The hero of that less celebrated event had been Odo the Great, Duke of Aquitaine, who was not the progenitor of a race of kings and patron of chroniclers. It has previously been explained how Odo defeated the invading Muslims, but when they returned, things were far different. The arrival in the interim of a new emir of Cordoba, Abdul Rahman Al GhafiqiAbdul
Abu Said Abdul Rahman ibn Abdullah ibn Bishr ibn Al Sarem Al 'Aki Al Ghafiqi, variously known as Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi'...
, who brought with him a huge force of Arabs and BerberBerber people
The Berbers are an ethnic group indigenous to Northwest Africa, speaking the Berber languages of the Afroasiatic family....
horsemen, triggered a far greater invasion. Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi had been at Toulouse, and the Arab Chronicles make clear he had strongly opposed the Emir's decision not to secure outer defenses against a relief force, which allowed Odo and his relief force to attack with impunity before the Islamic cavalry could assemble or mount. Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi had no intention of permitting such a disaster again. This time the Umayyad horsemen were ready for battle, and the results were horrific for the Aquitanians. Odo, hero of Toulouse, was badly defeated in the Muslim invasion of 732
732 is also an area code in the state of New Jersey....
at the battle prior to the Muslim sacking of Bordeaux, and when he gathered a second army, at the Battle of the River GaronneBattle of the River Garonne
The Battle of the River Garonne was fought in 732 between an Umayyad army led by Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, governor of Al-And...
—where the western chroniclers state, "God alone knows the number of the slain"— and the city of Bordeaux was sacked and looted. Odo fled to Charles, seeking help. Charles agreed to come to Odo's rescue, provided Odo acknowledged Charles and his house as his Overlords, which Odo did formally at once. Thus, Odo faded into history while Charles marched into it. It is interesting to note that Charles was pragmatic; while most commanders would never use their enemies in battle, Odo and his remaining Aquitanian nobles formed the right flank of Charles' forces at Tours.
The Battle of Tours
The Battle of Tours , often called Battle of Poitiers and also called in Arabic The Court of Martyrs was fought n...
earned Charles the cognomenCognomen
The cognomen was originally the third name of a Roman in the Roman naming convention....
"Martel", for the merciless way he hammered his enemies. Many historians, including the great military historian Sir Edward Creasy
Sir Edward Shepherd Creasy, historian, was educated at Eton College and Cambridge University and called to the Bar in 1837....
, believe that had he failed at Tours, IslamIslam
Islam is a monotheistic religion based upon the Qur'an, which adherents believe was sent by God through Muhammad....
would probably have overrun Gaul
Gaul was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, B...
, and perhaps the remainder of western Christian Europe. Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon was an English historian and Member of Parliament....
made clear his belief that the Umayyad armies would have conquered from Rome to the Rhine, and even England, with ease, had Martel not prevailed. Creasy said "the great victory won by Charles Martel ... gave a decisive check to the career of Arab conquest in Western Europe, rescued Christendom from Islam, [and] preserved the relics of ancient and the germs of modern civilization." Gibbon's belief that the fate of Christianity hinged on this battle is echoed by other historians including John B. Bury, and was very popular for most of modern historiography. It fell somewhat out of style in the twentieth century, when historians such as Bernard Lewis contended that Arabs had little intention of occupying northern France. More recently, however, many historians have tended once again to view the Battle of Tours as a very significant event in the history of Europe and Christianity. Equally, many, such as William Watson, still believe this battle was one of macrohistorical world-changing importance, if they do not go so far as Gibbon does rhetorically.
In the modern era, Matthew Bennett and his co-authors of "Fighting Techniques of the Medieval World", published in 2005, argue that "few battles are remembered 1,000 years after they are fought...but the Battle of Poitiers, (Tours) is an exception...Charles Martel turned back a Muslim raid that had it been allowed to continue, might have conquered Gaul." Michael Grant, author of "History of Rome", grants the Battle of Tours such importance that he lists it in the macrohistorical dates of the Roman era.
It is important to note however that modern western historians, military historians, and writers, essentially fall into three camps. The first, those who believe Gibbon was right in his assessment that Martel saved Christianity and western civilization by this Battle are typified by Bennett, Paul Davis, Robert Martin, and educationalist Dexter B. WakefieldDexter B. Wakefield
Dr. Dexter B. Wakefield is an assistant professor and 1st Vice-President at the Southern Illinois University....
who writes in An Islamic Europe
The second camp of contemporary historians believe that a failure by Martel at Tours could have been a disaster, destroying what would become western civilization after the RenaissanceRenaissance
In the traditional view, the Renaissance was understood as a historical age in Europe that followed the Middle Ages and ...
. Certainly all historians agree that no power would have remained in Europe able to halt Islamic expansion had the Franks failed. William E. Watson
William E. Watson is a historian who works for the nonprofit organization De Re Militari....
, one of the most respected historians of this era, strongly supports Tours as a macrohistorical event, but distances himself from the rhetoric of Gibbon and Drubeck, writing, for example, of the battle's importance in Frankish, and world, history in 1993:
The final camp of western historians believe that Tours was vastly overrated. This view is typified by Alessandro Barbero, who writes, "Today, historians tend to play down the significance of the battle of Poitiers, pointing out that the purpose of the Arab force defeated by Charles Martel was not to conquer the Frankish kingdom, but simply to pillage the wealthy monastery of St-Martin of Tours". Similarly, Tomaž Mastnak writes:
However, it is vital to note, when assessing Charles Martel's life, that even those historians who dispute the significance of this one Battle as the event that saved Christianity, do not dispute that Martel himself had a huge effect on western history. Modern military historian Victor Davis HansonVictor Davis Hanson
Victor Davis Hanson is a military historian, columnist, political essayist and former Classics professor, best known as a s...
acknowledges the debate on this battle, citing historians both for and against its macrohistorical placement:
Battle
The Battle of Tours probably took place somewhere between Tours and PoitiersPoitiers
Poitiers is a town located in west central France....
(hence its other name: Battle of Poitiers). The Frankish army, under Charles Martel, consisted mostly of veteran infantryInfantry
Infantry is a term for soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units....
, somewhere between 15,000 and 75,000 men. While Charles had some cavalry, they did not have stirrups, so he had them dismount and reinforce his phalanx. Odo and his Aquitanian nobility were also normally cavalry, but they also dismounted at the Battle's onset, to buttress the phalanx. Responding to the Umayyad invasion, the Franks had avoided the old Roman roads, hoping to take the invaders by surprise. Martel believed it was absolutely essential that he not only take the Umayyads by surprise, but that he be allowed to select the ground on which the battle would be fought, ideally a high, wooded plain where the Islamic horsemen, already tired from carrying armour, would be further exhausted charging uphill. Further, the woods would aid the Franks in their defensive square by partially impeding the ability of the Umayyad horsemen to make a clear charge.
From the Muslim accounts of the battle, they were indeed taken by surprise to find a large force opposing their expected sack of Tours, and they waited for six days, scouting the enemy and summoning all their raiding parties so their full strength was present for the battle. Emir Abdul Rahman was an able general who did not like the unknown at all, and he did not like charging uphill against an unknown number of foes who seemed well-disciplined and well-disposed for battle. But the weather was also a factor. The Germanic Franks, in their wolf and bear pelts, were more used to the cold, better dressed for it, and despite not having tents, which the Muslims did, were prepared to wait as long as needed, the autumn only growing colder.
On the seventh day, the Umayyad army, mostly Berber and Arab horsemen and led by Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, attacked. During the battle, the Franks defeated the Islamic army and the emir was killed. While Western accounts are sketchy, Arab accounts are fairly detailed in describing how the Franks formed a large square and fought a brilliant defensive battle. Rahman had doubts before the battle that his men were ready for such a struggle, and should have had them abandon the loot which hindered them, but instead decided to trust his horsemen, who had never failed him. Indeed, it was thought impossible for infantry of that age to withstand armoured cavalry.
Martel managed to inspire his men to stand firm against a force which must have seemed invincible to them, huge mailed horsemen, who, in addition, probably vastly outnumbered the Franks. In one of the rare instances where medieval infantry stood up against cavalry charges, the disciplined Frankish soldiers withstood the assaults even though, according to Arab sources, the Umayyad cavalry several times broke into the interior of the Frankish square. The scene is described in Bishop Isidore of Beja's Chronicle (translated passage from Fordham University's Internet Medieval Source Book):
"And in the shock of the battle the men of the North seemed like a sea that cannot be moved. Firmly they stood, one close to another, forming as it were a bulwark of ice; and with great blows of their swords they hewed down the Arabs. Drawn up in a band around their chief, the people of the Austrasians carried all before them. Their tireless hands drove their swords down to the breasts of the foe."
Both accounts agree that the Umayyad forces had broken into the square and were trying to kill Martel, whose liege men had surrounded him and would not be broken, when a trick Charles had planned before the battle bore fruit beyond his wildest dreams. Both Western and Muslim accounts of the battle agree that sometime during the height of the fighting, with the battle still in grave doubt, scouts sent by Martel to the Muslim camp began freeing prisoners. Fearing loss of their plunder, a large portion of the Muslim army abandoned the battle and returned to camp to protect their spoils. In attempting to stop what appeared to be a retreat, Abdul Rahman was surrounded and killed by the Franks, and what started as a ruse ended up a real retreat, as the Umayyad army fled the field that day. The Franks resumed their phalanx, and rested in place through the night, believing the battle would resume at dawn of the following morning.
The next day, when the Umayyad army did not renew the battle, the Franks feared an ambush. Charles at first believed the Muslims were attempting to lure him down the hill and into the open, a tactic he would resist at all costs. Only after extensive reconnaissance by Frankish soldiers of the Umayyad camp—which by both accounts had been so hastily abandoned that even the tents remained, as the Umayyad forces headed back to Iberia with what spoils remained that they could carry—was it discovered that the Muslims had retreated during the night. As the Arab Chronicles would later reveal, the generals from the different parts of the Caliphate, Berbers, Arabs, Persians and many more, had been unable to agree on a leader to take Abd er Rahman's place as Emir, or even to agree on a commander to lead them the following day. Only the Emir, Abd er Rahman, had a FatwaFatwa
Definition A fatwa plural fatawa , is a legal pronouncement in Islam, done by a law specialist on an issue....
from the Caliph, and thus absolute authority over the faithful under arms. With his death, and with the varied nationalities and ethnicities present in an army drawn from all over the Caliphate, politics, racial and ethnic bias, and personalities reared their head. The inability of the bickering generals to select anyone to lead resulted in the wholesale withdrawal of an army that might have been able to resume the battle and defeat the Franks.
Martel's ability to have Abd er Rahman killed through a clever ruse he had carefully planned to cause confusion, at the battle's apex, and his years spent rigorously training his men, combined to do what was thought impossible: Martel's Franks, virtually all heavy infantry, withstood both mailed heavy cavalry with 20 foot lances, and bow-wielding light cavalry, without the aid of bows or firearms. This was a feat of war almost unheard of in medieval history, a feat which even the heavily armored Roman legions proved themselves incapable of against the Parthians, and left Martel a unique place in history as the savior of Europe
and a brilliant general in an age not known for its generalship.
After Tours
In the subsequent decade, Charles led the Frankish army against the eastern duchies, Bavaria and Alemannia, and the southern duchies, AquitaineAquitaine
Aquitaine now forms a region in south-western France along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the bo...
and Provence
Provence is a former Roman province and is now a region of southeastern France, located on the Mediterranean Sea adjacent t...
. He dealt with the ongoing conflict with the Frisia
Frisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea....
ns and SaxonsSaxons
The Saxons or Saxon people are part of the German people with its main areas of settlements in the German States of S...
to his northeast with some success, but full conquest of the Saxons and their incorporation into the Frankish empire would wait for his grandson Charlemagne, primarily because Martel concentrated the bulk of his efforts against Muslim expansion.
So instead of concentrating on conquest to his east, he continued expanding Frankish authority in the west, and denying the Emirate of Córdoba a foothold in Europe beyond Al-Andalus. After his victory at Tours, Martel continued on in campaigns in 736736
Events...
and 737737
Events...
to drive other Muslim armies from bases in Gaul after they again attempted to get a foothold in Europe beyond Al-Andalus.
Wars from 732-737
Between his victory of 732 and 735735
EventsBirths*Alcuin, missionary and bishop...
, Charles reorganized the kingdom of BurgundyBurgundy
Burgundy is a historic region of France, inhabited in turn by Pre-Indo-European people, Celts , Romans , and various German...
, replacing the counts and dukes with his loyal supporters, thus strengthening his hold on power. He was forced, by the ventures of Radbod, King of the Frisians
Radbod was the duke of Frisia from 680 to 719....
, duke of the FrisiansRulers of Frisia
Of the first historically verifiable rulers of Frisia, whether they are called dukes or kings, the dynasty below is establis...
(719-734), son of the Duke Aldegisel who had accepted the missionariesMissionary Summary
A missionary is traditionally defined as a propagator of religion who works to convert those outside that community; someone...
Willibrord and Boniface, to invade independence-minded Frisia again in 734734
Events...
. In that year, he slew the duke, who had expelled the Christian missionaries, in the battle of the Boarn
The Battle of the Boarn was an eighth century battle between the Franks and the Frisians near the mouth of the river Boarn ...
and so wholly subjugated the populace (he destroyed every pagan shrine) that the people were peaceful for twenty years after.
The dynamic changed in 735 because of the death of Odo the Great, who had been forced to acknowledge, albeit reservedly, the suzerainty of Charles in 719. Though Charles wished to unite the duchy directly to himself and went there to elicit the proper homage of the Aquitainians, the nobility proclaimed Odo's son, Hunold, whose dukedom Charles recognised when the Umayyads invaded Provence the next year, and who equally was forced to acknowledge Charles as overlord as he had no hope of holding off the Muslims alone.
This naval Arab invasion was headed by Abdul Rahman's son. It landed in Narbonne
Narbonne Overview
Narbonne is a town and commune of southwestern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon rgion....
in 736 and moved at once to reinforce Arles
Arles is a city in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhne dpartement, of which it is a sous-prfecture, in the f...
and move inland. Charles temporarily put the conflict with Hunold on hold, and descended on the Provençal strongholds of the Umayyads. In 736, he retook Montfrin
Montfrin is a village of the Gard departement, in southern France....
and Avignon
Avignon is a commune in southern France with an estimated mid-2004 population of 89,300 in the city itself and a popul...
, and Arles and Aix-en-ProvenceAix-en-Provence
Aix, or, to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, Aix-en-Provence is a city in southern France, som...
with the help of Liutprand, King of the LombardsFacts About Liutprand, King of the Lombards
Liutprand was the king of the Lombards from 712 to 744 and is chiefly remembered for his Donation of Sutri, in 728, and his ...
. Nîmes
Nmes is a city and commune of southern France, prefecture of the Gard departement. ...
, Agde
Agde is a commune of the Hrault departement, in southern France....
, and BéziersBéziers
Bziers is a town in Languedoc, in the southwest of France....
, held by Islam since 725725
Events...
, fell to him and their fortresses were destroyed. He crushed one Umayyad army at Arles, as that force sallied out of the city, and then took the city itself by a direct and brutal frontal attack, and burned it to the ground to prevent its use again as a stronghold for Umayyad expansion. He then moved swiftly and defeated a mighty host outside of Narbonnea at the River Berre, but failed to take the city. Military historians believe he could have taken it, had he chosen to tie up all his resources to do so—but he believed his life was coming to a close, and he had much work to do to prepare for his sons to take control of the Frankish realm. A direct frontal assault, such as took Arles, using rope ladders and rams, plus a few catapults, simply was not sufficient to take Narbonne without horrific loss of life for the Franks, troops Martel felt he could not lose. Nor could he spare years to starve the city into submission, years he needed to set up the administration of an empire his heirs would reign over. He left Narbonne therefore, isolated and surrounded, and his son would return to liberate it for Christianity. Provence, however, he successfully rid of its foreign occupiers, and crushed all foreign armies able to advance Islam further.
Notable about these campaigns was Charles' incorporation, for the first time, of heavy cavalry with stirrups to augment his phalanxPhalanx formation
A phalanx is a rectangular mass military formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears, pikes, or...
. His ability to coordinate infantry and cavalry veterans was unequaled in that era and enabled him to face superior numbers of invaders, and to decisively defeat them again and again. Some historians believe the Battle against the main Muslim force at the River Berre, near Narbonne, in particular was as important a victory for Christian Europe as Tours. In Barbarians, Marauders, and Infidels, Antonio Santosuosso
Antonio Santosuosso is a Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario....
, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Western OntarioUniversity of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a coeducational, non-denominational, research-intensive university located in London, O...
, and considered an expert historian in the era in dispute, puts forth an interesting modern opinion on Martel, Tours, and the subsequent campaigns against Rahman's son in 736-737. Santosuosso presents a compelling case that these later defeats of invading Muslim armies were at least as important as Tours in their defense of Western Christendom and the preservation of Western monasticismChristian monasticism
Monasticism in Christianity is a family of similar traditions that began to develop early in the history of the Christian Church, ...
, the monasteries of which were the centers of learning which ultimately led Europe out of her Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three "ages": the clas...
. He also makes a compelling argument, after studying the Arab histories of the period, that these were clearly armies of invasion, sent by the Caliph not just to avenge Tours, but to begin the conquest of Christian Europe and bring it into the Caliphate.
Further, unlike his father at Tours, Rahman's son in 736-737 knew that the Franks were a real power, and that Martel personally was a force to be reckoned with. He had no intention of allowing Martel to catch him unawares and dictate the time and place of battle, as his father had, and concentrated instead on seizing a substantial portion of the coastal plains around Narbonne
Narbonne is a town and commune of southwestern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region....
in 736 and heavily reinforced Arles
Arles is a city in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhne departement, of which it is a sous-prefecture, in the f...
as he advanced inland. They planned from there to move from city to city, fortifying as they went, and if Martel wished to stop them from making a permanent enclave for expansion of the Caliphate, he would have to come to them, in the open, where, he, unlike his father, would dictate the place of battle. All worked as he had planned, until Martel arrived, albeit more swiftly than the Moors believed he could call up his entire army. Unfortunately for Rahman's son, however, he had overestimated the time it would take Martel to develop heavy cavalry equal to that of the Muslims. The Caliphate believed it would take a generation, but Martel managed it in five short years. Prepared to face the Frankish phalanx, the Muslims were totally unprepared to face a mixed force of heavy cavalry and infantry in a phalanx. Thus, Charles again championed Christianity and halted Muslim expansion into Europe, as the window was closing on Islamic ability to do so. These defeats, plus those at the hands of Leo in Anatolia were the last great attempt at expansion by the Umayyad Caliphate before the destruction of the dynasty at the Battle of the ZabBattle of the Zab
The Battle of the Zab took place on the banks of the Great Zab river in what is now Iraq on January 25, 750....
, and the rending of the Caliphate forever, especially the utter destruction of the Umayyad army at River Berre near Narbonne in 737.
Interregnum
In 737, at the tail end of his campaigning in Provence and Septimania
Charlemagne found Septimania and the borderlands so devastated and depopulated by warfare, with the inhabitants hiding among the ...
, the king, Theuderic IV, died. Martel, titling himself maior domus and princeps et dux Francorum, did not appoint a new king and nobody acclaimed one. The throne lay vacant until Martel's death. As the historian Charles Oman
Sir Charles William Chadwick Oman was a notable British military historian of the early 20th century....
says (The Dark Ages, pg. 297), "he cared not for name or style so long as the real power was in his hands."
Gibbon has said Martel was "content with the titles of Mayor or Duke of the Franks, but he deserved to become the father of a line of kings," which he did. Gibbon also says of him, "in the public danger, he was summoned by the voice of his country."
The interregnum, the final four years of Charles' life, was more peaceful than most of it had been and much of his time was now spent on administrative and organisational plans to create a more efficient state. Though, in 738 Facts About 738
Events...
, he compelled the Saxons of WestphaliaWestphalia Overview
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Bielefeld, Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen, Mnster, and Osnabrck a...
to do him homage and pay tribute, and in 739 checked an uprising in Provence, the rebels being under the leadership of Maurontus. Charles set about integrating the outlying realms of his empire into the Frankish church. He erected four dioceses in Bavaria and gave them Boniface as archbishopArchbishop
In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop....
and metropolitanMetropolitan bishop
In hierarchical Christian churches, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan ...
over all Germany east of the Rhine, with his seat at MainzMainz Summary
Mainz is a city in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate....
. Boniface had been under his protection from 723 on; indeed the saint himself explained to his old friend, Daniel of Winchester, that without it he could neither administer his church, defend his clergy, nor prevent idolatry. It was Boniface who had defended Charles most stoutly for his deeds in seizing ecclesiastical lands to pay his army in the days leading to Tours, as one doing what he must to defend Christianity. In 739739
Events...
, Pope Gregory IIIPope Gregory III
Pope Gregory III, pope , a Syrian by birth, succeeded Gregory II in March 731....
begged Charles for his aid against Liutprand, but Charles was loathe to fight his onetime ally and ignored the Papal plea. Nonetheless, the Papal applications for Frankish protection showed how far Martel had come from the days he was tottering on excommunication, and set the stage for his son and grandson literally to rearrange Italy to suit the Papacy, and protect it.
Death
Charles Martel died on October 22, 741741
Sorry, no overview for this topic
, at Quierzy-sur-OiseFacts About Quierzy-sur-Oise
Quierzy-sur-Oise is a French commune in the département of Aisne, in the region of Picardie, straddling the Oise River...
in what is today the Aisne
Aisne is a département in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River. ...
département Départements of France
The départements are administrative units of France and many former French colonies, roughly analogous to English counties....
in the Picardy
Picardy is an historical province of France, in the north of France....
region of France. He was buried at Saint Denis Basilica
The Basilica of Saint Denis is the famous burial site of the French monarchs, comparable to Westminster Abbey in England....
in Paris
native_name = Ville de Paris|common_name = Paris...
. His territories were divided among his adult sons a year earlier: to Carloman, son of Charles Martel
Carloman was the son of Charles Martel, major domo or mayor of the palace and duke of the Franks, and his wife Chrotrud....
he gave Austrasia and Alemannia (with Bavaria as a vassal), to Pippin the YoungerPippin the Younger
Pippin the YoungerPippin's name can be very confusing....
Neustria and Burgundy (with Aquitaine as a vassal), and to Grifo
Grifo was the son of the Frankish major domo Charles Martel and his second wife Swanahild....
nothing, though some sources indicate he intended to give him a strip of land between Neustria and Austrasia.
Gibbon called him "the hero of the age" and declared "Christendom ... delivered ... by the genius and good fortune of one man, Charles Martel." A strong argument can be made that Gibbon was correct on both counts.
Legacy
At the beginning of Charles Martel's career, he had many internal opponents and felt the need to appoint his own kingly claimant, Clotaire IV. By his end, however, the dynamics of rulership in Francia had changed, no hallowed Meroving was needed, neither for defence nor legitimacy: Charles divided his realm between his sons without opposition (though he ignored his young son Bernard). In between, he strengthened the Frankish state by consistently defeating, through superior generalship, the host of hostile foreign nations which beset it on all sides, including the heathen Saxons, which his grandson Charlemagne would fully subdue, and Moors, which he halted on a path of continental domination.
Though he never cared about titles, his son PippinPippin the Younger
Pippin the YoungerPippin's name can be very confusing....
did, and finally asked the Pope
Pope Overview
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, and, as Successor of Saint Peter, is the head of the Catholic Church....
"who should be King, he who has the title, or he who has the power?" The Pope, highly dependent on Frankish armies for his independence from Lombard and ByzantineByzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire of the...
power (the Byzantine emperor still considered himself to be the only legitimate "Roman EmperorRoman Emperor
"Roman Emperor" is the term historians use to refer to rulers of the Roman Empire, after the epoch conventionally named the ...
", and thus, ruler of all of the provinces of the ancient empireRoman Empire Summary
The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by an autocratic form of government....
, whether recognised or not), declared for "he who had the power" and immediately crowned Pippin.
Decades later, in 800800
Events...
, Pippin's son Charlemagne
Charlemagne was the King of the Franks who conquered Italy and took the Iron Crown of Lombardy in 774 and, on a visit to ...
was crowned emperor by the Pope, further extending the principle by delegitimising the nominal authority of the Byzantine emperor in the Italian peninsula (which had, by then, shrunk to encompass little more than Apulia
Apulia is a region in southeastern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the S...
and Calabria
Calabria , is a region in southern Italy which occupies the "toe" of the Italian peninsula south of Naples....
at best) and ancient Roman Gaul, including the Iberian outposts Charlemagne had established in the Marca Hispanica
The Marca Hispanica was a buffer zone beyond the province of Septimania, first set up by Charlemagne in 795 as a defensive b...
across the Pyrenees
[Image:Pic de Bugatet.jpg|thumb|250px|Pic de Bugatet in the Nouvielle Natural Reserve....
, what today forms Catalonia
The Autonomous Community of Catalonia , known throughout history simply as Catalonia, is today one of the 17 autonomou...
. In short, though the Byzantine Emperor claimed authority over all the old Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by an autocratic form of government....
, as the legitimate "Roman" Emperor, it was simply not reality. The bulk of the Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire is the name given to the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 286....
had come under Carolingian rule, the Byzantine Emperor having had almost no authority in the West since the sixth century, though Charlemagne, a consummate politician, preferred to avoid an open breach with Constantinople. An institution unique in history was being born: the Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a mainly Central European conglomeration of lands in the Middle Ages and the early modern period, ...
. Though the sardonic VoltaireVoltaire
Franois-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, essayist, deist and p...
ridiculed its nomenclature, saying that the Holy Roman Empire was "neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire," it constituted an enormous political power for a time, especially under the Saxon and Salian dynastiesSalian dynasty
The Salian dynasty was a dynasty of germanic kings, also known as the Frankish dynasty after the family's origin and r...
and, to a lesser, extent, the Hohenstaufen. It lasted until 1806, by then it was a nonentity. Though his grandson became its first emperor, the "empire" such as it was, was largely born during the reign of Charles Martel.
Charles was that rarest of commodities in the Middle Ages: a brilliant strategic general, who also was a tactical commander par excellence, able in the heat of battle to adapt his plans to his foe's forces and movement — and amazingly, to defeat them repeatedly, especially when, as at Tours, they were far superior in men and weaponry, and at Berre and Narbonne, when they were superior in numbers of fighting men. Charles had the last quality which defines genuine greatness in a military commander: he foresaw the dangers of his foes, and prepared for them with care; he used ground, time, place, and fierce loyalty of his troops to offset his foe's superior weaponry and tactics; third, he adapted, again and again, to the enemy on the battlefield, shifting to compensate for the unforeseen and unforeseeable.
Gibbon, whose tribute to Martel has been noted, was not alone among the great mid era historians in fervently praising Martel; Thomas Arnold ranks the victory of Charles Martel even higher than the victory of Arminius
Facts About Arminius
Arminius was a war chief of the Germanic tribe of the Cherusci who defeated a Roman army in the Battle of the Teutoburg Fore...
in the Battle of the Teutoburg ForestBattle of the Teutoburg Forest
The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest took place in the year 9 when an alliance of Germanic tribes led by Arminius , the son o...
in its impact on all of modern history:
"Charles Martel's victory at Tours was among those signal deliverances which have affected for centuries the happiness of mankind." [History of the later Roman Commonwealth, vol ii. p. 317.]
German historians are especially ardent in their praise of Martel and in their belief that he saved Europe and Christianity from then all-conquering Islam, praising him also for driving back the ferocious Saxon barbarians on his borders. Schlegel speaks of this " mighty victory " in terms of fervent gratitude, and tells how " the arm of Charles Martel saved and delivered the Christian nations of the West from the deadly grasp of all-destroying Islam", and Ranke points out,
"as one of the most important epochs in the history of the world, the commencement of the eighth century, when on the one side Mohammedanism threatened to overspread Italy and Gaul, and on the other the ancient idolatry of Saxony and Friesland once more forced its way across the Rhine. In this peril of Christian institutions, a youthful prince of Germanic race, Karl Martell, arose as their champion, maintained them with all the energy which the necessity for self-defence calls forth, and finally extended them into new regions."
In 1922 and 1923, Belgian historian Henri Pirenne
Henri Pirenne was a leading Belgian historian....
published a series of papers, known collectively as the "Pirenne Thesis", which remain influential to this day. Pirenne held that the Roman Empire continued, in the Frankish realms, up until the time of the Arab conquests in the 7th century
The 7th century is the period from 601 - 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era....
. These conquests disrupted Mediterranean trade routes leading to a decline in the European economy. Such continued disruption would have meant complete disaster except for Charles Martel's halting of Islamic expansion into Europe from 732 on. What he managed to preserve led to the Carolingian Renaissance
Carolingian Renaissance Overview
The Carolingian Renaissance was a period of intellectual and cultural revival occurring in the late 8th and 9th century, wit...
, named after him.
Professor Santosuosso perhaps sums up Martel best when he talks about his coming to the rescue of his Christian allies in Provence, and driving the Muslims back into the Iberian Peninsula forever in the mid and late 730's
"After assembling forces at Saragossa the Muslims entered French territory in 735, crossed the River Rhone and captured and looted Arles. From there they struck into the heart of Provence, ending with the capture of Avignon, despite strong resistance. Islamic forces remained in French territory for about four years, carrying raids to Lyon, Burgundy, and Piedmont. Again Charles Martel came to the rescue, reconquering most of the lost territories in two campaigns in 736 and 739, except for the city of Narbonne, which finally fell in 759. The second (Muslim) expedition was probably more dangerous than the first to Poiters. Yet its failure (at Martel's hands) put an end to any serious Muslim expedition across the Pyrenees (forever)."
In the Netherlands, a vital part of the Carolingian Empire, and in the low countries, he is considered a hero. In France and Germany, he is revered as a hero of epic proportions.
Skilled as an administrator and ruler, Martel organized what would become the medieval European government: a system of fiefdoms, loyal to barons, counts, dukes and ultimately the King, or in his case, simply maior domus and princeps et dux Francorum. ("First or Dominant Mayor and Prince of the Franks") His close coordination of church with state began the medieval pattern for such government. He created what would become the first western standing army since the fall of Rome by his maintaining a core of loyal veterans around which he organized the normal feudal levies. In essence, he changed Europe from a horde of barbarians fighting with one another, to an organized state.
Beginning of the Reconquista
Although it took another two generations for the Franks to drive all the Arab garrisons out of SeptimaniaSeptimania
Charlemagne found Septimania and the borderlands so devastated and depopulated by warfare, with the inhabitants hiding among the ...
and across the PyreneesPyrenees
[Image:Pic de Bugatet.jpg|thumb|250px|Pic de Bugatet in the Nouvielle Natural Reserve....
, Charles Martel's halt of the invasion of French soil turned the tide of Islamic advances, and the unification of the Frankish kingdoms under Martel, his son Pippin the Younger, and his grandson Charlemagne created a western power which prevented the Emirate of Córdoba from expanding over the Pyrenees. Martel, who in 732 was on the verge of excommunication, instead was recognised by the Church as its paramount defender. Pope Gregory II
Facts About Pope Gregory II
Pope Gregory II, pope from 715 or 716 to February 11, 731, succeeded Pope Constantine, his election being variously dated Ma...
wrote him more than once, asking his protection and aid, and he remained, till his death, fixated on stopping the Muslims. Martel's son Pippin the YoungerPippin the Younger
Pippin the YoungerPippin's name can be very confusing....
kept his father's promise and returned and took Narbonne by siege in 759759
Events...
, and his grandson, Charlemagne
Charlemagne was the King of the Franks who conquered Italy and took the Iron Crown of Lombardy in 774 and, on a visit to ...
, actually established the Marca Hispanica across the Pyrenees in part of what today is Catalonia, reconquering Girona in 785785
Events*Widukind and many other Saxons are baptized....
and Barcelona in 801801 Overview
Sorry, no overview for this topic
. This sector of what is now Spain was then called "The Moorish Marches" by the Carolingians, who saw it as not just a check on the Muslims in Hispania, but the beginning of taking the entire country back. This formed a permanent buffer zone against Islam, which became the basis, along with the King of Asturias, named Pelayo (718-737, who started his fight against the Moors in the mountains of Covadonga
Covadonga, from Latin Cova dominica, "Cavern of the Lady", is a village in Asturias, northwestern Spain, among the Picos...
, 722) and his descendants, for the Reconquista until all of the Muslims were eradicated from the Iberian Peninsula.
Military legacy
Heavy infantry and permanent army
Victor Davis Hanson argues that Charles Martel launched "the thousand year struggle" between European heavy infantry, and Muslim cavalry. Of course, Martel is also the father of heavy cavalry in Europe, as he integrated heavy armoured cavalry into his forces. This creation of a real army would continue all through his reign, and that of his son, Pepin the Short, until his Grandson, Charlemagne, would possess the world's largest and finest army since the peak of Rome. Equally, the Muslims used infantry - indeed, at the Battle of Toulouse most of their forces were light infantry. It was not till Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi brought a huge force of Arab and Berber cavalry with him when he assumed the emirite of Al-Andulus that the Muslim forces became primarily cavalry.
Martel's army was known primarily for being the first standing permanent army since Rome's fall in 476, and for the core of tough, seasoned heavy infantry who stood so stoutly at Tours. The Frankish infantry wore as much as 70 pounds of armour, including their heavy wooden shields with an iron boss. Standing close together, and well disciplined, they were unbreakable at Tours. Martel had taken the money and property he had seized from the church and paid local nobles to supply trained ready infantry year round. This was the core of veterans who served with him on a permanent basis, and as Hanson says, "provided a steady supply of dependable troops year around." This was the first permanent army since Rome. " While other Germanic cultures, such as the Visigoths or Vandals, had a proud martial tradition, and the Franks themselves had an annual muster of military aged men, such tribes were only able to field armies around planting and harvest. It was Martel's creation of a system whereby he could call on troops year round that gave the Carolingians the first standing and permanent army since Rome's fall in the west.
And, first and foremost, Charles Martel will always be remembered for his victory at Tours. Creasy argues that the Martel victory "preserved the relics of ancient and the germs of modern civilizations." Gibbon called those eight days in 732, the week leading up to Tours, and the battle itself, "the events that rescued our ancestors of Britain, and our neighbors of Gaul [France], from the civil and religious yoke of the Koran." Paul Akers, in his editorial on Charles Martel, says for those who value Christianity "you might spare a minute sometime today, and every October, to say a silent 'thank you' to a gang of half-savage Germans and especially to their leader, Charles 'The Hammer' Martel."
In his vision of what would be necessary for him to withstand a larger force and superior technology (the Muslim horsemen had adopted the armour and accutraments of heavy cavalry from the Sassanid Warrior Class, which made the first knights possible), he, daring not to send his few horsemen against the Islamic cavalry, used his army to fight in a formation used by the ancient GreeksAncient Greece
Ancient Greece is the period in Greek history which lasted for around one thousand years and ended with the rise of Christia...
to withstand superior numbers and weapons by discipline, courage, and a willingness to die for their cause: a phalanx. He had trained a core of his men year round, using mostly Church funds, and some had literally been with him since his earliest days after his father's death. It was this hard core of disciplined veterans that won the day for him at Tours. Hanson emphasizes that Martel's greatest accomplishment as a General may have been his ability to keep his troops under control. This absolute iron discipline saved his infantry from the fate of so many infantrymen - such as the Saxons at Hastings - who broke formation and were slaughtered piecemeal. After using this infantry force by itself at Tours, he studied the foe's forces and further adapted to them, initially using stirrups and saddles recovered from the foe's dead horses, and armour from the dead horsemen.
Development of heavy cavalry
After 732, he began the integration into his army of heavy cavalry, using the armour and accoutrements of heavy armoured horsemen, training his infantry to fight in conjunction with cavalry, a tactic which stood him in good stead during his campaigns of 736-737, especially at the Battle of Narbonne. His incorporation of heavy armoured cavalry into the western forces created the first "knights" in the west.
Brilliant generalship
Martel earned his reputation for brilliant generalship, in an age generally bereft of same, by his ability to use what he had and by integrating new ideas and technology. As a consequence, he was undefeated from 716 to his death against a wide range of opponents, including the Muslim cavalry (at that time, the world's best) and the fierce barbarian Saxons on his own borders -- and all this in spite of virtually always being outnumbered. He was the only general in the Middle Ages in Europe to use the eastern battle technique of feigned retreat. His ability to attack where he was least expected and when he was least expected was legendary. The process of the development of the famous chivalry of France continued in the Edict of Pistres
Edict of Pistres
The Edict of Pistres is often held up as one of the few examples, if not the sole example, of good government from Charles t...
of his great-great-grandson and namesake Charles the BaldCharles the Bald
Charles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and king of West Francia , was the youngest son of Emperor Louis the Pious, by his ...
.
The defeats Martel inflicted on the Muslims were vital in that the split in the Islamic world left the CaliphateCaliphate
A caliphate, , is the Islamic form of government representing the political unity and leadership of the Muslim world....
unable to mount an all out attack on Europe via its Iberian stronghold after 750750
Events...
. His ability to meet this challenge, until the Muslims self-destructed, is considered by most historians to be of macrohistorical importance, and is why Dante
DANTE
DANTE is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the var...
writes of him in Heaven as one of the "Defenders of the Faith." After 750, the door to western Europe, the Iberian emirate, was in the hands of the Umayyads, while most of the remainder of the Muslim world came under the control of the Abbasids, making an invasion of Europe a logistical impossibility while the two Muslim empires battled. This put off Islamic invasion of Europe until the TurkishOttoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire , is also sometimes known in the West as the Turkish Empire....
conquest of the BalkansBalkans
The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe a region of southeastern Europe....
half a millennium later.
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was a British writer best known for his science fiction novels such as The Time Machine, The War...
says of Charles Martel's decisive defeat of the Muslims in his "Short History of the World:
"The Moslim when they crossed the Pyrenees in 720 found this Frankish kingdom under the practical rule of Charles Martel, the Mayor of the Palace of a degenerate descendant of Clovis, and experienced the decisive defeat of Poitiers (732) at his hands. This Charles Martel was practically overlord of Europe north of the Alps from the Pyrenees to Hungary."
John H. Haaren says in “Famous Men of the Middle Ages”
”The battle of Tours, or Poitiers, as it should be called, is regarded as one of the decisive battles of the world. It decided that Christians, and not Moslems, should be the ruling power in Europe. Charles Martel is especially celebrated as the hero of this battle.”
Just as his grandson, Charlemagne, would become famous for his swift and unexpected movements in his campaigns, Charles was legendary for never doing what his enemies forecast he would do. It was this ability to do the unforeseen, and move far faster than his opponents believed he could, that characterized the military career of Charles Martel.
It is notable that the Northmen did not begin their European raids until after the death of Martel's grandson, Charlemagne. They had the naval capacity to begin those raids at least three generations earlier, but chose not to challenge Martel, his son Pippin, or his grandson, Charlemagne. This was probably fortunate for Martel, who despite his enormous gifts, would probably not have been able to repel the Vikings in addition to the Muslims, Saxons, and everyone else he defeated. However, it is notable that again, despite the ability to do so, (the Danes had constructed defenses to defend from counterattacks by land, and had the ability to launch their wholesale sea raids as early as Martel's reign), they chose not to challenge Charles Martel.
Conclusion
J.M. Roberts says of Charles Martel in his note on the Carolingians on page 315 of his 1993 History of the World:
It (the Carolingian line) produced Charles Martel, the soldier who turned the Arabs back at Tours, and the supporter of Saint Boniface, the Evangelizer of Germany. This is a considerable double mark to have left on the history of Europe."
Gibbon perhaps summarized Charles Martel's legacy most eloquently: "in a laborious administration of 24 years he had restored and supported the dignity of the throne..by the activity of a warrior who in the same campaign could display his banner on the Elbe, the Rhone, and shores of the ocean."
Family and children
Charles Martel married twice:
His first wife was Rotrude of Treves, (daughter of St. Leutwinus, Bishop of Treves). They had the following children:
HiltrudHiltrud
Hiltrud is a daughter of Charles Martel and Rotrude of Treves....
(d. 754), married Odilo IOdilo of Bavaria
Odilo, of the house of Agilolfing, ruled Bavaria from 736 until his death in 748, succeeding Duke Hugbert of Bavaria....
, Duke of Bavaria
Carloman, son of Charles Martel
Carloman was the son of Charles Martel, major domo or mayor of the palace and duke of the Franks, and his wife Chrotrud....
Landrade (Landres), married Sigrand, Count of Hesbania
Auda, Aldana, or Alane, married Thierry IV, Count of Autun and Toulouse
Pippin the Short
His second wife was Swanhild
Swanachild was the second wife of Charles Martel, who brought her back from his first campaign in Bavaria in 725, along with...
. They had the following child:
Grifo
Grifo was the son of the Frankish major domo Charles Martel and his second wife Swanahild....
Charles Martel also had a mistress, Ruodhaid
Ruodhaid was a concubine or mistress of Charles Martel with whom she had the following children:...
. They had the following children:
Bernard (b. before 732-787)
Hieronymus
Remigius of Rouen
Remigius or Remedius was the illegitimate son of Charles Martel and probably Ruodhaid....
, archbishop of RouenArchbishop of Rouen
The Archbishop of Rouen is Primate of Normandy and one of the fifteen Archbishops of France....
(d. 771)
IanIan
"Ian" is the Scottish Gaelic version of John....
(d. 783)
Ancestors
External links
Ian Meadows, 'The Arabs in Occitania': A sketch giving the context of the conflict from the Arab point of view.
http://www.standin.se/fifteen07a.htm Poke's edition of Creasy's "15 Most Important Battles Ever Fought According to Edward Shepherd Creasy" Chapter VII. The Battle of Tours, A.D. 732.
Richard Hooker, 'Civil War and the Umayyads'
The Battle of Tours 732, from the "Jewish Virtual LibraryJewish Virtual Library
The Jewish Virtual Library is an online encyclopedia published by the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise....
" website: A division of the American-Israeli Cooperative.
Tours, Poiters, from "Leaders and Battles Database" online.
Robert W. Martin, 'The Battle of Tours is still felt today', from about.com About.com
About.com is a network of sites on about 540 topics that relies on paid human "Guides" to cover a specific topic by providin...
Medieval Sourcebook: Arabs, Franks, and the Battle of Tours, 732
Arabs, Franks, and the Battle of Tours, 732: Three Accounts from the Internet Medieval Sourcebook
Medieval Sourcebook: Gregory II to Charles Martel, 739
Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
Charles Martel (Latin: Carolus Martellus) (ca. 688 – 22 October 741),
Martel was born in Herstal, in present-day Belgium, the illegitimate son of the mayor and duke Pippin II and his concubine Alpaida.
Family and children
Charles Martel married twice:
His first wife was Rotrude of Treves, (690-724) (daughter of St. Leutwinus, Bishop of Treves). They had the following children:
* Hiltrud (d. 754), married Odilo I, Duke of Bavaria
* Carloman
* Landrade (Landres), married Sigrand, Count of Hesbania
* Auda, Aldana, or Alane, married Thierry IV, Count of Autun and Toulouse
* Pippin the Short
His second wife was Swanhild. They had the following child:
* Grifo
Charles Martel also had a mistress, Ruodhaid. They had the following children:
* Bernard (b. before 732-787)
* Hieronymus
* Remigius, archbishop of Rouen (d. 771)
* Ian (d. 783)
Called Charles the Hammer, was a Frankish military and political leader, who served as Mayor of the Palace under the Merovingian kings and ruled de facto during an interregnum (737–43) at the end of his life, using the title Duke and Prince of the Franks.
In 739 he was offered the title of Consul by the Pope, but he refused.[6] He is perhaps best remembered for winning the Battle of Tours in 732, in which he defeated an invading Muslim army and halted northward Islamic expansion in western Europe.
A brilliant general—he lost only one battle in his career (the Battle of Cologne)
Painting:
Charles Martel is primarily famous for his victory at the Battle of Tours, his stopping the Umayyad invasions of Europe during the Muslim Expansion Era, and his laying the foundation for the Carolingian Empire. (oil on canvas, painted by Charles de Steuben from 1834 till 1837)
Charles Martel (Latin: Carolus Martellus)
(ca. 688 – 22 October 741), called Charles the Hammer,
was a Frankish military and political leader, who served as Mayor of the Palace under the Merovingian kings and ruled de facto during an interregnum (737–43)
at the end of his life, using the title Duke and Prince of the Franks.
In 739 he was offered the title of Consul by the Pope, but he refused.
He is perhaps best remembered for winning the Battle of Tours in 732, in which he defeated an invading Muslim army and halted northward Islamic expansion in western Europe.
A brilliant general—he lost only one battle in his career (the Battle of Cologne)—he is a founding figure of the Middle Ages, often credited with a seminal role
in the development of feudalism and knighthood, and laying the groundwork for the Carolingian Empire.
He was also the grandfather of Charlemagne.
BIRTH AND YOUTH
Martel was born in Herstal, in present-day Belgium,
the illegitimate son of the mayor and duke Pippin II and his concubine Alpaida.
The following tale is told of Charles and of the origins of his name: in 676, Pepin of Herstal and his wife
Plectrude were talking together in a room when they were intruded upon by a messenger, bringing news
that the Mayor's mistress, Alpaida,had given birth to a son at Herstal.
The messenger, fearful of arousing the wrath of Plectrude,
decided not to announce the news directly.
Instead, he said: "Long live the king, it is a carl" ('man').
Pepin, equally cautious of his wife, dismissed the messenger as follows: "A carl, is it? Then let him be called that."
This was done, and, so legend claims, the child was named "Carl". In German-speaking countries he is known as Karl Martell.
Alpaida also bore Pepin another son, Childebrand.
CONTESTING FOR POWER
THE FRANKISH KINGDOMS
At the time of the death of Pepin of Heristal.
Note that Aquitaine (yellow) was outside of Arnulfing authority and Neustria and Burgundy (pink)
were united in opposition to further
Arnulfing dominance of the highest offices.
Only Austrasia (green) supported an Arnulfing mayor,
first Theudoald then Charles.
Note that the German duchies to the east of the Rhine
were de facto outside of Frankish suzerainty at this time.
In December 714, Pepin of Heristal died.
Prior to his death, he had, at his wife Plectrude's urging,
designated Theudoald, his grandson by their son Grimoald, his heir in the entire realm.
This was immediately opposed by the nobles because Theudoald was a child of only eight years of age.
To prevent Charles using this unrest to his own advantage, Plectrude had him gaoled in Cologne,
the city which was destined to be her capital.
This prevented an uprising on his behalf in Austrasia, but not in Neustria.Civil war of 715-718
In 715, the Neustrian noblesse proclaimed Ragenfrid mayor of their palace on behalf of, and apparently with the support of Dagobert III, the young king, who in theory had the legal authority to select a mayor, though by this time the Merovingian dynasty had lost most such powers.
The Austrasians were not to be left supporting a woman and her young son for long.
Before the end of the year, Charles Martel had escaped from prison and been acclaimed mayor by the nobles of that kingdom.
The Neustrians had been attacking Austrasia and the nobles were waiting for a strong man to lead them against their invading countrymen.
That year, Dagobert died and the Neustrians proclaimed Chilperic II king without the support of the rest of the Frankish people.
In 717, Chilperic and Ragenfrid together led an army into Austrasia.
The Neustrians allied with another invading force under Radbod, King of the Frisians and met Charles in battle
near Cologne, which was still held by Plectrude.
Charles had little time to gather men, or prepare, and the result was the only defeat of his life.
According to Strauss and Gustave, Martel fought a brilliant battle, but realized he could not prevail because he was outnumbered so badly, and retreated. In fact, he fled the field as soon as he realized he did not have the time or the men to prevail, retreating to the mountains
of the Eifel to gather men, and train them.
The king and his mayor then turned to besiege their other rival in the city and took it and the treasury,
and received the recognition of both Chilperic as king and Ragenfrid as mayor.
Plectrude surrendered on Theudoald's behalf.
Magnanimous in victory
At this juncture, however, events turned in favour of Charles.
Having made the proper preparations, he fell upon the triumphant army near Malmedy as it was returning to its own province, and, in the ensuing Battle of Amblève,
routed it and the few troops who were not killed or surrendered, fled.
Several things were notable about this battle, in which Charles set the pattern for the remainder of his military career:
First, he appeared where his enemies least expected him, while they were marching triumphantly home and far outnumbered him.
He also attacked when least expected, at midday, when armies of that era traditionally were resting.
Finally, he attacked them how they least expected it, by feigning a retreat to draw his opponents into a trap.
The feigned retreat, next to unknown in Western Europe at that time—it was a traditionally eastern tactic—required both extraordinary discipline on the part of the troops and exact timing on the part of their commander.
Charles, in this battle, had begun demonstrating the military genius that would mark his rule, in that he never attacked his enemies where, when, or how they expected, and the result was an unbroken victory streak
that lasted until his death.
In Spring 717, Charles returned to Neustria with an army and confirmed his supremacy with a victory at the Battle of Vincy, near Cambrai.
He chased the fleeing king and mayor to Paris, before turning back to deal with Plectrude and Cologne.
He took her city and dispersed her adherents.
However, he allowed both Plectrude and the young Theudoald to live and treated them with kindness
—unusual for those Dark Ages, when mercy to a former jailer, or a potential rival, was rare.
On this success, he proclaimed Clotaire IV king of Austrasia in opposition to Chilperic and deposed the archbishop of Rheims, Rigobert, replacing him with Milo,
a lifelong supporter.
CONSOLIDATION OF POWER
After subjugating all Austrasia, he marched against Radbod and pushed him back into his territory,
even forcing the concession of West Frisia (later Holland).
He also sent the Saxons back over the Weser and thus secured his borders—in the name of the new king Clotaire, of course.
In 718, Chilperic responded to Charles' new ascendancy by making an alliance with Odo the Great (or Eudes, as he is sometimes known), the duke of Aquitaine, who had made himself independent during the civil war in 715,
but was again defeated, at the Battle of Soissons, by Charles.
The king fled with his ducal ally to the land south of the Loire and Ragenfrid fled to Angers.
Soon Clotaire IV died and Odo gave up on Chilperic and, in exchange for recognising his dukedom, surrendered the king to Charles, who recognised his kingship over all the Franks in return for legitimate royal affirmation of his mayoralty, likewise over all the kingdoms (718).
The Saracen Army outside Paris, 730-32 AD
Foreign wars from 718-732
The ensuing years were full of strife. between 718 and 723, Charles secured his power through a series of victories: he won the loyalty of several important bishops
and abbots (by donating lands and money for the foundation of abbeys such as Echternach),he subjugated Bavaria and Alemannia, and he defeated the pagan Saxons.
Having unified the Franks under his banner, Charles was determined to punish the Saxons who had invaded Austrasia.
Therefore, late in 718, he laid waste their country to the banks of the Weser, the Lippe, and the Ruhr.
He defeated them in the Teutoburg Forest.
In 719, Charles seized West Frisia without any great resistance on the part of the Frisians, who had been subjects of the Franks but had seized control upon the death of Pippin.
Although Charles did not trust the pagans, their ruler, Aldegisel, accepted Christianity, and Charles sent Willibrord, bishop of Utrecht, the famous "Apostle to the Frisians" to convert the people.
Charles also did much to support Winfrid, later Saint Boniface, the "Apostle of the Germans."
When Chilperic II died the following year (720),
Charles appointed as his successor the son of Dagobert III, Theuderic IV, who was still a minor, and who occupied the throne from 720 to 737.
Charles was now appointing the kings whom he supposedly served, rois fainéants who were mere puppets in his hands; by the end of his reign they were so useless
that he didn't even bother appointing one.
At this time, Charles again marched against the Saxons. Then the Neustrians rebelled under Ragenfrid, who had left the county of Anjou.
They were easily defeated (724), but Ragenfrid gave up his sons as hostages in turn for keeping his county.
This ended the civil wars of Charles' reign.
The next six years were devoted in their entirety to assuring Frankish authority over the dependent Germanic tribes.
Between 720 and 723, Charles was fighting in Bavaria,
where the Agilolfing dukes had gradually evolved into independent rulers, recently in alliance with Liutprand the Lombard.
He forced the Alemanni to accompany him, and Duke Hugbert submitted to Frankish suzerainty.
In 725 and 728, he again entered Bavaria and the ties of lordship seemed strong.
From his first campaign, he brought back the Agilolfing princess Swanachild, who apparently became his concubine.
In 730, he marched against Lantfrid, duke of Alemannia,
who had also become independent, and killed him in battle.
He forced the Alemanni capitulation to Frankish suzerainty and did not appoint a successor to Lantfrid.
Thus, southern Germany once more became part of the Frankish kingdom, as had northern Germany during the first years of the reign.
But by 730, his own realm secure, Charles began to prepare exclusively for the coming storm from the south and west.
In 721, the emir of Córdoba had built up a strong army from Morocco, Yemen, and Syria to conquer Aquitaine,
the large duchy in the southwest of Gaul, nominally under Frankish sovereignty, but in practice almost independent
in the hands of the Odo the Great, the Duke of Aquitaine,
since the Merovingian kings had lost power.
The invading Muslims besieged the city of Toulouse,
then Aquitaine's most important city, and Odo (also called Eudes, or Eudo) immediately left to find help.
He returned three months later just before the city was about to surrender and defeated the Muslim invaders on June 9, 721, at what is now known as the Battle of Toulouse.
This critical defeat was essentially the result of a classic enveloping movement by Odo's forces.
(After Odo originally fled, the Muslims became overconfident and, instead of maintaining strong outer defenses around their siege camp and continuous scouting, they did neither.)
Thus, when Odo returned, he was able to launch a near complete surprise attack on the besieging force,
scattering it at the first attack, and slaughtering units caught resting or that fled without weapons or armour.
Due to the situation in Iberia, Martel believed he needed a virtually fulltime army—one he could train intensely
—as a core of veteran Franks who would be augmented with the usual conscripts called up in time of war.
(During the Early Middle Ages, troops were only available after the crops had been planted and before harvesting time.)
To train the kind of infantry that could withstand the Muslim heavy cavalry, Charles needed them year-round,
and he needed to pay them so their families could buy the food they would have otherwise grown.
To obtain money he seized church lands and property, and used the funds to pay his soldiers.
The same Charles who had secured the support of the ecclesia by donating land, seized some of it back between 724 and 732.
Of course, Church officials were enraged, and, for a time, it looked as though Charles might even be excommunicated for his actions.
But then came a significant invasion.
EVE OF TOURS
Historian Paul K. Davis said in 100 Decisive Battles "Having defeated Eudes, he turned to the Rhine to strengthen his northeastern borders - but in 725 was diverted south with the activity of the Muslims in Acquitane."
Martel then concentrated his attention to the Umayyads, virtually for the remainder of his life.
Indeed, 12 years later, when he had thrice rescued Gaul from Umayyad invasions, Antonio Santosuosso noted
when he destroyed an Umayyad army sent to reinforce the invasion forces of the 735 campaigns, "Charles Martel
again came to the rescue".
It has been noted that Charles Martel could have pursued the wars against the Saxons—but he was determined to prepare for what he thought was a greater danger.
It is also vital to note that the Muslims were not aware,
at that time, of the true strength of the Franks,or the fact that they were building a real army instead of the typical barbarian hordes that had dominated Europe after Rome's fall.
They considered the Germanic tribes, including the Franks, simply barbarians and were not particularly concerned about them.
The Arab Chronicles, the history of that age, show that Arab awareness of the Franks as a growing military power came only after the Battle of Tours when the Caliph expressed shock at his army's catastrophic defeat.
BATTLE OF TOURS
Leadup and importance"It was under one of their ablest
and most renowned commanders, with a veteran army,
and with every apparent advantage of time, place,
and circumstance, that the Arabs made their great effort
at the conquest of Europe north of the Pyrenees."
—Edward Shepherd Creasy , The Fifteen Decisive
BATTLES OF THE WORLD
The Cordoban emirate had previously invaded Gaul
and had been stopped in its northward sweep at the Battle of Toulouse, in 721.
The hero of that less celebrated event had been Odo the Great, Duke of Aquitaine, who was not the progenitor of a race of kings and patron of chroniclers.
It has previously been explained how Odo defeated the invading Muslims, but when they returned,
things were far different.
The arrival in the interim of a new emir of Cordoba, Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, who brought with him a huge force
of Arabs and Berber horsemen, triggered a far greater invasion.
Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi had been at Toulouse, and the Arab Chronicles make clear he had strongly opposed
the Emir's decision not to secure outer defenses against a relief force, which allowed Odo and his relief force to attack with impunity before the Islamic cavalry could assemble or mount.
Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi had no intention of permitting such a disaster again.
This time the Umayyad horsemen were ready for battle,
and the results were horrific for the Aquitanians.
Odo the hero of Toulouse was badly defeated in the Muslim invasion of 732 at the battle prior to the Muslim sacking of Bordeaux, and when he gathered a second army, at the Battle of the River Garonne
—Western chroniclers state, "God alone knows the number of the slain"— and the city of Bordeaux was sacked and looted.
Odo fled to Charles, seeking help.
Charles agreed to come to Odo's rescue, provided Odo acknowledged Charles and his house as his overlords,
which Odo did formally at once.
Charles was pragmatic; while most commanders
would never use their enemies in battle, Odo and his remaining Aquitanian nobles formed the right flank of Charles's forces at Tours.
The Battle of Tours earned Charles the cognomen "Martel" ('Hammer'), for the merciless way he hammered his enemies.
After Tours in the subsequent decade, Charles led the Frankish army against the eastern duchies, Bavaria and Alemannia, and the southern duchies, Aquitaine and Provence.
He dealt with the ongoing conflict with the Frisians and Saxons to his northeast with some success, but full conquest of the Saxons and their incorporation into the Frankish empire would wait for his grandson Charlemagne, primarily because Martel concentrated
the bulk of his efforts against Muslim expansion.
So instead of concentrating on conquest to his east, he continued expanding Frankish authority in the west, and denying the Emirate of Córdoba a foothold in Europe beyond Al-Andalus.
After his victory at Tours, Martel continued on in campaigns in 736 and 737 to drive other Muslim armies
from bases in Gaul after they again attempted to get a foothold in Europe beyond Al-Andalus.
WARS FROM 732-737
Between his victory of 732 and 735, Charles reorganized the kingdom of Burgundy, replacing the counts and dukes
with his loyal supporters, thus strengthening his hold on power.
He was forced, by the ventures of Radbod, duke of the Frisians (719-734),
From the Geni profile ...
- Added by: Jean Paul Ancey on January 25, 2007
- Managed by: Margaret, (C) and 739 others
- Curated by: Sharon Doubell •http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=MAR&GSpartial...
Charles "The Hammer" Martel was the defacto King of the Franks from 737-741 (Officially he was Duke and Prince of the Franks). He was also known as a great general, and is most famous for his victory at the Battle of Tours, in which he defeated an invading Muslim army and halted northward Islamic expansion in western Europe.
Please add to Discussion if you want to change the locked naming fields.
Martel was the son of Pepin II and his concubine, Alpaida.
Around 670, Pepin had married Plectrude, who had inherited substantial estates in the Moselle region. She was the mother of Drogo of Champag
Birth: Aug. 23, 676 Death: Oct. 22, 741
Frankish Monarch. The grandfather of Charlemagne, he is best remembered for winning the Battle of Tours in 732, which prevented Moslem advance from getting any farther into Europe than Spain. His Frankish army defeated an Arab and Berber army fighting to spread Islam, which had swept through southern Asia and north Africa, before conquering most of the Iberian peninsula and much of southern France. Although it took another two generations for the Franks to drive all the Arab garrisons out of what is now France and across the Pyrenees, Charles Martel's halt of the invasion of French soil turned the
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Martel
read more
View All
Immediate Family
Text View
Showing 12 of 17 people
Swanachilde of the Bavarians
wife
Grifo
son
N.N. d'Austrasie
daughter
Ruodhaid
partner
Bernard, count & Abbot of St. Qu...
son
Remigius Archbishop des Rouen
son
Hieronymus / Jerónimo / Jérome...
son
Rotrude
wife
Carloman, King of the Franks
son
Pépin III, King of the Franks
son
Hiltrud I d'Austrasie, Duchess o...
daughter
Alpais
mother
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Agregado por: Ing. Carlos Juan Felipe Urdaneta Alamo, MD.IG.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RANGO HISTORICO
✺- 676→Dono sucede a Adeodato II como papa.
✺- 681→Tras la muerte de Agatón, en enero, León II es elegido papa. Sin embargo, no fue confirmado por el emperador hasta agosto del año siguiente, con lo que se considera 682 el año de comienzo de su breve pontificado→
→9 de enero: XII Concilio de Toledo→
→Los búlgaros establecen un reino propio al sur del Danubio.
→ Fallece: 10 de enero: Agatón, papa.
✺- 686→Conón sucede a Juan V como papa.
→ Nace: 23 de agosto: Carlos Martel mayordomo de palacio del reino de Austrasia.
→ Fallece: 2 de agosto: Juan V, papa.
✺- 691→Finalización de la Cúpula de la Roca en Jerusalén.→
→III Concilio de Zaragoza.1
→ Fallece: Teoderico III, rey franco de Neustria y Borgoña y de Austrasia (679-691).
→ Nace: Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, califato omeya que gobernó desde 724 hasta su muerte, en 743.
✺- 696→Juan de Nikiû es nombrado administrador general de los monasterios del Alto Egipto→
→La abadía de San Pedro es fundada por Ruperto de Salzburgo, arzobispo de Worms, en Salzburgo (hoy Austria).
→ Fallece: 8 de junio: Clodulfo de Metz, obispo de Metz (o 697).
→ Fallece: Domnall Donn, rey de Dalriada (Escocia).
✺- 701→30 de septiembre, Juan VI sucede al papa Sergio I→
→Se publica el Código Taiho en Japón→
→Witiza sucede a su abuelo Égica como rey de los visigodos→
→Pertarito se corona como rey de los lombardos→
→La muerte de Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiya, hijo de Ali Ibn Abi Talib, detiene provisionalmente la agitación chiita→
→En la India, se proclama el dogma del nacimiento sobrenatural de Zoroastro.
→ Fallece: Raginperto, Rey de los lombardos.
→ Fallece: 8 de septiembre - Papa Sergio I
✺- 706→15 de febrero: el emperador bizantino Justiniano II ajusticia públicamente a los dos usurpadores de su trono, Leoncio II y Tiberio III, tras volver al poder.
✺- 711→Europa
Ansprando, duque de Asti, regresa del exilio a la Lombardía con un gran ejército bávaro. Muchos austrasíos, con tropas de Venecia, se unen a él en apoyo. El rey Ariperto II es derrotado e intenta escapar de Pavía a Galia con su tesoro, pero se ahoga en el río Ticino. Es el último bávaro en llevar la Corona de Hierro (fecha aproximada)→
→Las relaciones pacíficas entre francos y frisones se consolidan mediante el matrimonio de Grimoaldo, hijo de Pipino de Herstal, con Theudesinda, hija del rey Radbod→
→23 de abril: el rey Childeberto III muere después de un reinado de 16 años, y es sucedido por su hijo Dagoberto III como gobernante de Austrasia. Pipino de Herstal se convierte en su regente→
→El dux Berhtfrith lidera una campaña de Northumbria contra los pictos y los derrota en Manaw Gododdin (fecha aproximada)→
→Imperio bizantino
Filípico incita a los habitantes de Cherson a rebelarse, con la ayuda de los jázaros. El emperador Justiniano II sale de Constantinopla para oponerse a los rebeldes en Crimea. Filípico derrota a las fuerzas bizantinas en el norte de Anatolia, se apodera de la capital, se proclama emperador y ejecuta a Justiniano, terminando la casa de Heraclio, que había gobernado desde 610→
→diciembre: la emperatriz Teodora, al enterarse de la noticia de la muerte de Justiniano II, escapa con su hijo Tiberio, de 6 años, al santuario de la Iglesia de Santa María en Constantinopla. La persiguen los secuaces de Filípico, que arrastran al niño del altar y lo asesinan fuera de la iglesia→
→Península ibérica
Agila II, rey visigodo, reina en la Tarraconense y la Septimania.1
Tariq ibn Ziyad, gobernador bereber de Tánger, recibe a través de Olbán, gobernador bereber de Ceuta, una llamada del rey visigodo Agila II, destituido por el rey Rodrigo→
→27 de abril: las tropas omeyas (7000 hombres) lideradas por Tariq ibn Ziyad desembarcan en los acantilados de las Columnas de Hércules; ocupa y fortifica la roca de Gibraltar, que bautiza con su propio nombre (Djabal-al-Tariq) y comienzan la conquista de la península ibérica→
→19 de julio: Batalla de Guadalete: los omeyas derrotan al ejército visigodo (33.000 hombres) bajo el mando del rey Rodrigo, quien muere en la batalla. La capital visigoda de Toledo abre sus puertas de la ciudad; Tariq ibn Ziyad envía destacamentos para capturar las ciudades de Córdoba y Sevilla→
→Asia
Después de que los piratas saquearan un barco cerca de la desembocadura del río Indo, los omeyas, bajo el mando de Muhammad ibn Qasim, invaden India con 10 000 hombres y 6000 caballos, estableciendo el sultanato de Sindh. Qasim envía expediciones a Surashtra, donde realiza acuerdos pacíficos de tratados con los Rashtrakuta→
→Muhammad ibn Qasim captura la fortaleza de la ciudad de Multan después de un largo asedio, y realiza incursiones con sus fuerzas en la región de Punjab, con solo algunas derrotas→
→Se completa la reconstrucción del Templo Hōryū-ji en Ikaruga, Japón. (fecha aproximada)→
→América
Palenque es conquistada por Toniná.
→ Fallece: 23 de abril: Childeberto III, rey franco merovingio.
→ Fallece: 4 de noviembre: Justiniano II, emperador bizantino, asesinado (n. 669).
→ Fallece: 19 de julio: Rodrigo, rey de los visigodos, en la batalla de Guadalete.
→ Fallece: Tiberio, hijo de Justiniano II (n. 705).
✺- 716→Al-Hurr convierte Córdoba en la capital del valiato de Ifriqiya→
→Instalación en Galicia de los bereberes→
→San Bonifacio comienza sus misiones en Germania.
→ Fallece: Agila II, rey de los visigodos.
✺- 721→9 de junio: los francos recuperan la ciudad de Tolosa en la que se denomina Batalla de Tolosa, contra los musulmanes.
→ Fallece: 13 de febrero - Chilperico II, rey franco merovingio
→ Fallece: Anastasio II, Emperador bizantino
✺- 726→Se inicia la querella de las imágenes en el Imperio bizantino→
→Levantamiento en Venecia contra Bizancio. La causa de los disturbios masivos fueron los decretos iconoclastas del emperador León III. Pocos días después, se presentaron demandas políticas para una amplia autonomía dentro del Imperio Bizantino y el derecho de nombrar al gobernante de la región: Doge. Deseando conservar las ganancias del tesoro del segundo puerto más importante del Imperio y no tener los recursos para hacer frente a una región bien fortificada y armada, Bizancio está de acuerdo con todos los requisitos establecidos→
→Finaliza el reinado de Ine de Wessex.
→ Nace: Grifón, duque de Maine.
Nace: Paulino, patriarca de Aquilea.
Nace: Orso Ipato primer dux de Venecia.
✺- 731→San Gregorio III sucede a San Gregorio II como papa.
✺- 736→Carlos Martel, mayordomo de palacio merovingio, forma alianzas locales con los borgoñeses e impone la dominación franca en Provenza. Derrota a las fuerzas musulmanas en Sernhac y Beaucaire en Septimania (sur de Francia)→
→Batalla de Nimes: Los francos al mando de Carlos Martel fracasan en la captura de Narbona, pero destruyen la mayoría de otros asentamientos, incluyendo Nimes, Agda, Béziers y Maguelonne, que eran vistos como potenciales bastiones de los omeyas→
→El rey Ethelbaldo de Mercia es descrito en el Ismere Diploma como gobernante (bretwalda) de los mercios y de todas las provincias al sur de Inglaterra. También es llamado "Rex Britanniae" (rey de Bretaña)→
→El rey Oengus I de los pictos invade el vecino reino de Dalriada y lo sojuzga. Ocupa la fortaleza de Dunadd, y establece su reinado en Escocia por dos décadas→
→El monje budista japonés Rōben invita al monje coreano Simsang (Shinshō), para recibir lecciones de la sutra de la guirnalda en Kinshōsen-ji (Tōdai-ji); siendo este evento el origen de la escuela budista Kegon en Japón→
→Un equipo diplomático de Calakmul, liderado por Wamaw K'awiil, se reúne con el líder quiriguá K’ak Tiliw Chan Yopaa, en un intento de negociar el fin de la rebelión de la ciudad durante la tercera guerra Tikal-Calakmul→
→Yik'in Chan K'awiil, gobernante (ajaw) de la ciudad maya de Tikal, conquistó Calakmul→
→Primera documentación del cultivo de lúpulo en la región de Hallertau (hoy Alemania).5
→ Nace: Halfdan el Amable, rey noruego.
→ Fallece: Huberto I de Baviera, duque de Baviera.
✺- 741→San Zacarías sucede a San Gregorio III como papa→
→Carloman y Pipino el Breve suceden a su padre Carlos Martel como mayordomos de palacio→
→La revuelta bereber comenzada el año anterior se intensifica en Al-Andalus. Los cerca de 10000 supervivientes de las tropas sirias enviadas por el califa, al mando de Balch, pasan a la península ibérica para apoyar al valí Abd al Malik→
→La Catedral de York se quema→
→John Fabriaco es nombrado cónsul romano y magister militum→
→18 de junio: Constantino V sucede a León III como emperador del Imperio Bizantino.
→ Fallece: Carlos Martel, sucedido por su hijo, Pipino el Breve
→ Fallece: 28 de noviembre, Gregorio III, papa.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Agregado por: Ing. Carlos Juan Felipe Urdaneta Alamo, MD.IG.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ⓜ
.JPG)
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario