The Battle of Tours
October 10, 732
By autumn 732, the Iberian Peninsula had been under Muslim assault for twenty years, and Spain was fully under the control of Sunni Islamic forces, which by then had advanced to west-central France.
But at Tours, the Islamic forces were caught off-guard by the combined forces of French and Aquitaine (then an independent realm) troops lying in wait and led by Prince Charles Martel. Many historians have estimated that Martel’s troops were outnumbered 2:1 at Tours; however, more recent study suggests that the forces were more evenly matched.
As the Muslims approached, Martel’s men remained encamped in the forests surrounding Tours, with neither side wanting to launch the offensive. Finally, on October 10, the seventh day, unwilling to put off the fight any longer, the Muslim forces launched an uphill attack against Martel’s troops, who had the higher ground and the cover of trees. The battle may have been the first in which French cavalry had stirrups on their horses, which would have given them a decisive advantage in maneuvering and handling weapons on horseback (historians are not agreed as to whether Martel’s forces used stirrups at Tours).
The Battle of Tours is regarded as the decisive battle ending the Muslim advance across western Europe, and it is credited by historians as having set the foundations for the ensuing Carolingian Empire.
Following the victory at Tours, Charles Martel served as the protector of St. Boniface, who would go on to Christianize Germany in the ninth century.
J. Douglas Johnson is the executive editor of Touchstone and the executive director of the Fellowship of St. James.
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