Battle of Tours

Hey everybody!  Guess what??  We’re gonna have an interview with Charles THE HAMMER Martel!  Wooopie!

Q: Who was it that you fought against during the Battle of Tours?

A: The Muslim moors.

Q: Did anything happen before the Battle of Tours that lead up to it?

A: Yes, the Muslim moors crossed into Spain from North Africa.  They wanted to expand their empire and import their faith in Muhammad.  In a way it was a religious mission to them to bring Islam into new territory.  The Moors thought Europe was an easy target since it was defended by barbarians who fought amongst themselves instead of enemies.  In 730, Moorish general Abd ar-Rahman I defeated southern France, raiding and devasting Aquitaine.  They also attacked Autun and towns along the Rhone River.

Q: So then what happened after that?

A: After taking the riches from southern France, they turned northward, confident that they could take all of France.  But what they didn’t know was I was awaiting them, prepared and ready to fight.  I was commander and chief of the Frankish army.  I knew that we had a harsh rival, so I made sure our army was strong.  I made our countrymen become soldiers of my army.  I needed money to create a successful army, so I took land and property from the Church and used it to finance the development of a well trained army.  On October 10, 732, the Battle of Tours began.  The Moors withdrew and we were victorious.  That’s how I got my nickname Charles “The Hammer” Martel. 

Q: So overall what do you think resulted from your victory at the Battle of Tours?

A: Well, I was credited as the savior of Christianity and Europe.  The victory at Tours ended the raids by Muslims from Spain and helped Charles strengthen his hold on the kingdom. Our victory ended the Muslim raids from Spains and was a great turning point in the history of military technology.

“Battle of Tours.” World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 6 Nov. 2010. <http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/&gt;