How Charles Martel Saved the Catholic West
“You are my hammer and weapon of war: with you I break nations
in pieces; with you I destroy kingdoms.” Jeremiah 51:20
Last time we talked
about Duke Odo’s and the miracle that happened during the battle of Toulouse.
You may remember that I mentioned Duke Odo’s rival, Charles Martel. He was the
Mayor of the Palace and, the de facto ruler of the Frankish Kingdom. He was
reluctant to face the Muslim threat because of his selfish political ambitions.
Soon, he will set aside his selfishness and join Duke Odo to protect their
lands from the heathen army of the south…….
732 A.D.
The Umayyad Muslim
force, now under Abdul Rhaman Al Ghafiqi, crossed the Pyrenees Mountains to
avenge their defeat 11 years ago. This time he was better prepared than his
predecessor and raised a mighty army of horsemen and few footmen. They raided
and pillaged their way through Gaul. Churches, abbeys, monasteries, towns, and
cities are razed to the ground. The people are either killed or made into
slaves by the Umayyads. Duke Odo once again rallied his troops to face the
Muslim Army, but this time he lost. The Duke had no choice but to ask for help.
This time, Charles saw the Umayyads as a serious threat and decided to set
aside his animosity with Duke Odo. They agreed to unite their forces and defend
their lands from the Muslims.
A Call to Arms
Charles Martel was an
experienced military commander and in some ways, he is the most powerful
Western Christian commander of his time. He fought German tribes on his eastern
border and with his fellow Franks during a civil war more than a decade ago.
Because of this, the Franks are battle-ready veterans. He rallied his veterans
under his banner and march against the invaders. Duke Odo supplemented Charles’ force from his retinue to increase their strength.
Charles rallied an
army of heavy infantry with some levied light infantry and a small band of
horsemen. In comparison, the Umayyads were mostly cavalry, both heavy and
light, and a few infantrymen. The Muslims are better equipped and larger in
number to their Christian counterparts.
By the time Charles
Martel finished rallying his troops, Al Ghafiqi is marching towards the city of
Tours. The city was a prime target for the raiding force because of its rich
abbeys and churches. Aside from being rich, the city is only 112 miles away
from the capital city of Paris. Losing Tours could lead to the loss of the
capital city and by extension, the whole of the Frankish Kingdom and
Christianity.
War Plan
Charles knows better
than to face his enemy in an open field because the Muslim cavalry will be
advantaged in such battles. Instead, he picked the perfect place that would
counter the cavalry superiority of his enemy. Charles Martel placed his army in
an elevated forest area between the rivers Vienne and Clain. Their position
will slow the Muslim cavalry charge and the narrowness of the battlefield will
limit any flanking maneuvers the enemy horsemen could perform. This defensive
tactic is the magnum opus of Charles' military career.
Abdul Rahman Al
Ghafiqi was nearing Tours when he spotted the Frankish infantry waiting for
them in their well-defended position. He was outmaneuvered by the cunning plan
of Charles. Though he was an experienced military leader, he failed to do two
things:
- Al Ghafiqi assumed that Charles will not help Odo. This led him to underestimate the Frankish strength and numbers.
- He failed to scout his enemy which did not save him from being outmaneuvered by Charles.
His force was also
burdened with the booty and slaves they got from raiding the land, meaning that
they have a lot to lose in the upcoming battle.
The Battle of Tours, October 10, 732 A.D.
For days the opposing forces engaged in minor
skirmishes. This was a clever ploy of Al Ghafiqi to stall Charles so he could
wait for his other men to arrive in battle. On the seventh day, the Muslims
can’t wait much longer because their clothing was not suited for the upcoming
European winter. Al Ghafiqi trusted that his cavalry would win the battle so he
ordered them to charge at the Franks repeatedly.
Wave after wave the tight formation of the
disciplined Frankish Heavy Infantry pushed back the Muslim Horsemen. Though
Charles’ army was not professional, they were motivated by their leader and by
their faith in Christ who helped them in their battle. The Mozarabic Chronicles
of 754 described the Frankish tight formation as “…immobile as a wall, holding
together like a glacier in the cold regions.” This goes to show how strong the
Muslims saw the Franks were.
Despite the sturdiness
of the Franks, some Muslim units managed to slip through the gaps in the
formation and tried to kill Charles. But of the personal ferocity of the
Frankish warriors saved their leader.
The Franks held firmly even after being
battered by the repeating charges. It was then that Duke Odo decided to take
his cavalry to attack the enemy camp. He freed slaves and retrieved the loot in
the Muslim camp. Duke Odo did all this to draw the attention of the Muslim
forces. His actions triggered a domino effect. Many Muslim Horsemen rushed back
to camp to save their loot. While the other horsemen who were still fighting
the Franks thought that their brothers in arms were fleeing from battle so they
too followed suit. However, their retreat was not organized so the
This was what Charles has been waiting for.
Charles Martell
immediately ordered his men to charge their fleeing enemy. With tremendous
vigor, the Franks chased down every Umayyad warrior they found. Every Muslim
caught by the ravaging swarm of Frankish Warriors was cut down and amid the
chaos, Al Ghafiqi was surrounded and was slain in battle. No quarter was given.
No mercy was shown.
The following day, the
Muslims did not renew the attack. Charles thought that his enemy was luring him
into an ambush once he leaves his position. He knew that he had to resist this
at all costs. His men too resisted the urge to leave their position. They were
so disciplined that they chose the safety of their position rather than the
riches inside the tents that might be hiding enemy soldiers. After a thorough
reconnaissance, the Franks learned that the camp was abandoned. The battle
officially ended that day. Charles' army only suffered 1,500 casualties. While
over 12,000 Umayyads were slain. The Cross triumphed against the Crescent.
*Charles and the
Muslims will have more battles but will ultimately result in Frankish
Victories*
Aftermath
Since then, the Muslim
expansion into Western Europe completely stopped, thus saving the Christian
Civilizations of Western Europe. Charles Martel’s name soon spread out of
Christendom and showered him with respect and renown. His efforts gave birth to
a new Imperial Power in Western Europe since the fall of the Western Roman
Empire, which will be culminated under the reign of his grandson, Charlemagne.
From that day on, Pope Gregory III named the Frankish Kingdom as the eldest
daughter of the Catholic Church.
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhK9HHZEp4o
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-tours
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb8pGJy2aXs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tours
https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Tours-732
https://www.thelatinlibrary.com/imperialism/notes/tours.html
Arrogance, a key to failure
ReplyDeleteVigilance, a key to victory