Charles Martel.

732. Charles Martel. The Frankish army pushing back the Arab-Berbers in Poitiers. In 732, he had to confront the Muslim armies under the command of the Spanish Governer Abd el Rahman. From 711 onwards, the Berbers occupied the Iberian peninsula and continued to advance slowly towards the North. Thanks to the intervention of the Duke of Aquitaine, Eudes, the first attempts at advancing were pushed back. After his victory, he intended to warn of the return of the Spanish Muslims in allying himself to Munuza, the Berber Governer of Septimania, and in giving him his daughter's hand in marraige. However, Munuza was killed in affronting the Spanish governer Abd-el-Rahman, who went on to launch a punitive expodition against the Aquitaines. He engaged in an offensive across the Frankish border in 732, with the aim, amongst others, of pillaging the sanctuary of Saint-Martin of Tours. This time, the Duke Eudes asked Charles to come to his aid. On the 19th October 732, the armies of Charles and of the Duke reunited to confront the raid in Moussais, on the current site of Vouneuil-sur-Vienne, between Tours and Poitiers. Charles did everything in his power to avoid a confrontation but encouraged pillaging the surrounding area, with the aim of looting the Sarrasins, rendering them less capable and mobile. After 6 days of preparation, the battle took place on the 25th October and was quite brief. The leader Abd el Rahman was killed by Charles's army, leaving the Sarrasines with no other option than to flee. According to some sources, Abd el Rahman would not have been killed at the battle of Poitiers, but would have simply fled back to his base in Narbonne. Followed by the Frankish troops of Charles Martel, he and his army would have been killed in Louchapt at the foot of the cliff of Sangou, in Lot, 733. The town hall of the commune in Martel was built on the site of the battle. 19th Century engraving.

19th century

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