Muslim Invasions: Martel Triumphs at Tours
October 10, 732 - Frankish and Muslim forces clash at the Battle of Tours. Moving north in 732, Muslim forces led by Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi proceeded to sack Aquitaine. To the north, the Frankish Mayor of the Palace, Charles Martel mobilized his army to meet the threat. Marching to position near Tours, Martel selected a high, wooded plain which would force the Umayyad cavalry to charge uphill. Forming a large square, his men surprised Abdul Rahman, forcing the Umayyad emir to pause for a week to consider his options. On October 10, the emir attacked Martel's position and was repeated repulsed. In the meantime, some of Martel's men infiltrated the Muslim camp. This led a large segment of Rahman's army to break off the battle in order to protect their plunder. Pursued by the Franks, the Muslim army was driven from the field. The victory at Tours marked the end of the Muslim invasions in northwestern Europe and preserved Christianity in the region.
Comments
Tours marked the end of Abdul Rahman’s threat to France, but Muslim invaders subjugated the Iberian peninsula until the close of the 15th C. Muslim armies continued to attack Europe from the east, often conquering both Christian and pagan kingdoms and dominating them for long periods. They slaughtered and enslaved as they went, reaching Vienna to which they laid seige in 1529. I believe Polish and Lithuanian knights are credited with saving Western Europe then, certainly an Islamic victory at Vienna would have doomed all of Europe to eventual subjugation at that time. In 1683, the Islamic scourge appeared before Vienna once again, and again Polish forces joined the Duke of Lorraine to fight off that attack. In the Balkans the last Muslim conquest took place in 1999. Islamic attacks have taken place since, and the last Islamic plot to reach the press was discovered about a week ago. Today, politicians and press try to ignore this, but perhaps historians will take a better look decades in the future and analyse the cost.