The
Battle of Tours
By
Reid Culp
The Battle of Tours was a very significant
battle in the spread of Islam and in the existence of Christianity. The Battle of Tours
decided history much more than one might imagine. The more powerful Muslims and the spread
of Islam were knocking on Europe’s door. And the spread of Islam was stopped along
the road between the towns of Tours and Poitiers, France, with just its head in Europe.
(Payne, Robert. 142) Islam spread rapidly through the Middle East and North Africa, due to
the help of the influence of Islamic disciples and armies. But they were stopped dead at
Tours. Was it the tactics of the Muslims that lost the battle for the Muslims or was it
the loss of their great leader, Abd-er-Rahman? Or was it the leadership of the great
Frankish leader Charles Martel?
Charles
Martel, "The Hammer" was a Frankish General, and then became the
undisputed ruler of all the Franks. He became the ruler after
defeating Austria in a war. He also engaged in wars against Alamanni, Bavarians, and
Saxons, which were small tribes in and around France. But his greatest achievement was
against the Muslims from Spain, who invaded France in 732. It was in this battle at Tours,
it is said, that gave Charles his name, Martel "The Hammer", because of the
merciless way in which he smote the enemy. (Catholic Encyclopedia, 2nd
Pargh)For more information on Charles Martel CLICK HERE or HERE.
The Franks were a Germanic tribe who eventually
became the French as we know it. For more information on the Franks please CLICK HERE.
Abd-ar-Rahman was an Arab soldier and emir of
Spain, in a time when Islam culture was the most powerful in the world. He became governor
of southern France in 721. In 732, when the growth of Frankish power menaced the Muslim
position in Spain, he led an army across the Pyrenees Mountains into the dominions of the
Franks. The army met the Franks, led by Charles Martel later that year in 732 near the
town of Tours. (Encarta 2001, Abd-ar-Rahman) For a little more information on
Abd-ar-Rahman CLICK HERE.
Abd-ar-Rahman crossed the Pyrenees at the head
of an immense army and advanced as far as the Loire River, pillaging and burning as he
went. David W. Koeller in his article "The Battle
of Tours", says, " (The) Moslem army, in a crusading search for land and the
end of Christianity, after the conquest of Syria, Egypt, and North Africa, began to
invaded Western Europe under the leadership of Abd-ar-Rahman." The Muslim army had
between 60,000 to 400,000 soldiers, and "an over whelming number of horsemen."
(Encyclopedia.com, Battle of Tours)
In October 732 AD(*), one hundred years after Muhammad’s death, a
scouting party belonging to the army of Abd-ar-Rahman… made contact with the Frankish
army… along the road between Poitiers and Tours, [a city which was reputed to contain
vast riches.] (DISCovering World History Essay) The Arab commander did not know that a
trap had been set for him…. [Abd-ar-Rahman was in hot pursuit of another Frankish
commander, when he came upon Charles Mantels army.] Abd-ar-Rahman called for a halt. He
wanted to discover the strength of the enemy, and he hoped the Franks, if not too
numerous, would attack. What frightened him the most of all was the possibility of losing
his army among the forests and the streams. (Payne, 142-143)
For seven days Charles [Martel] remained on the
edge of the forest, waiting for the attack. It was bitterly cold weather, with Arabs still
dressed for their summer campaigns. The wolf pelts (furs) of the Franks helped them in the
icy cold. At last in the morning of the seventh day Abd-ar-Rahman decided to attack.
Charles and his army held firm, forming a hollow square to take the main charge of the
Arabs while dispatching raiders along infrequently used forest paths to attack the Arabs
from the rear. The Arabs, once guerrilla warriors, had a reverted to classical mode of
warfare, and were no match for the Franks, who numbered many more well equipped soldiers
than the Arabs spies indicated. Also the Franks were fighting with the Loire river at
their back, and could not retreated even if they wanted to. The Arabs marching through
France had acquired a lot of loot, and this too worked in the favor of the Franks, who
were not weighed down with the task of guarding their treasure, nor did they posses
baggage trains of any kind. Most of them were simple foot soldiers, but there were some
companies of cavalry. (Payne, 142-143)
As the battle progressed, the Franks began to
waver…. Behind their coats of mail, and their pointed helmets, their horses clothed
in chain mail, the Arabs were almost impregnable. They were on the verge of victory when
the Franks fought their way toward the treasure carts. Instead of fighting in column, the
Arabs flew in defense of the treasure, and panicked when they saw the carts being driven
away by the enemies. Abd-ar-Rahman ordered his troops back in line, but it was too late. A
lance killed him. Then, while the armies were still fighting confusedly, night fell. Both
armies retried to lick their wounds. (Payne, 142-143)
All through the night spies of Charles heard
the clash of arms as lieutenants of Abd-ar-Rahman quarreled bitterly over the election of
a new leader. The Arabs were fighting a small-scale civil war over the treasure carts.
Toward dawn the sounds of fighting had ceased, and when the sun came through the clouds on
that cold October Sunday, Charles saw that the enemy had vanished. They were hurrying
south, away from the northern winter and the smell of defeat in the marshes of the Loire.
(Payne, 142-143)
The reason that the battle turned out the way
it did, a loss for the Muslims and a win for the Franks, seems disgraceful for the
Muslims, and genius for the Franks. The Arabs were at a distinct disadvantage. The reason
why is because the Franks had the advantages of more men, warmer clothes, and the home
terrain. The Arabs were no match for the Franks. The Franks had more men, but only a few
cavalry and much more foot soldiers than the Arabs. Although, the Arabs had an
overwhelming number of horsemen and relied on them greatly. With their horseman the Arabs
rushed forward relying on slashing tactics. (Koeller, "Battle of Tours") The
Arabs relying on the tactics began to weaken the more numerous Franks and the momentum of
this battle began to change. But by this time the Franks had reached the treasure carts,
and were riding off with them. The Arabs, in foolish move ran back to save the treasure
carts, not thinking about the battle. The greed of the Arabs and the thought of the Franks
taken their treasure terrorized them. Abd-ar-Rahman in his quest to take land in the name
of Islam was killed in action leaving the panicking Muslims, without a leader. As Robert
Payne said in his book The History of Islam, the loss of the leader a power vacuum,
consequently starting a miniature civil war over the commanding role, weakening the Muslim
army. (Payne, 143) This in turn led to the defeat of the Muslim army at Tours.
The battle at Tours was the turning point
battle of the undeclared war between the Muslims and the Christians. This battle won by
Charles Martel and his Franks stopped the spread of Islam into Western Europe. If
Abd-ar-Rahman had won the battle at Tours and conquered even farther into Europe then the
world as it is know might be different. "Will Durant speculates that the Muslims
defeat at the French city of Tours in 732 AD determined that European countries remained
Christian rather than becoming Islamic cultures." (Durant, Will. 86) Instead of
Christianity, Islam might be the dominant religion to in Europe.
The Battle of Tours has been hailed as on
e of the
most crucial battles in history. (DISCovering World History Essay) This battle was the
turning point of the undeclared war against Western Europe, which had become inevitable
once [Gibraltar had been captured by the Moors]. (Payne, 143) The Muslims had moved in and
captured all of Spain, from their position of strength in North Africa. After that they
went into France they meet the Loire River and Charles Martel, and their campaign ended at
Tours. This is where the expansion of Islam ended in Western Europe. Some say Charles
Martel saved Christianity and Europe from Islam. This battle is said to be decisive
because this battle decided whether Islam would spread father, or stop. This is the
farthest a Muslim army ever got in Europe.
If the Muslims had not chased after their
precious treasure, and pursued the wavering Franks, then they might have won the battle
and Western Europe would be different today. If the Muslims had won the battle, and their
campaign had gone farther into Western Europe, Islam would most certainly be the most
predominate religion in Western Europe. That is only if the Muslims had won the battle.
That is why the Battle of Tours is one of the most decisive battles in history, to decide
which would prevail Islam or Christianity. As one sees today Christianity prevailed.
The Battle of Tours decided much. Which major
religion would prosper in Western Europe, Christianity or Islam. Christianity won this
battle, but it was not because of the Muslim tactics or the great leader ship of either
side, it was greed that won the battle. If the Muslims had not thought of their treasure
and thought of the spread of Islam they might have won the battle and changed the world as
one knows it.
Bibliography
"Abd-ar-Rahman," Encyclopedia.com.
Electronic Library. 15 November 2001 < http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/18703.html>
"Abd-ar-Rahman," Encarta: CD-ROM
(USA: Microsoft Corporation, 2001)
"Battle of Tours, c. October, 732"
DISCovering World History. Gale Research, 1997. Reproduced in Student Center. Farmington
Hils, Mich.: Gale Group. 3 December 2000. <http://www.galnet.com/servlet/SRC/>
"Battle of Tours" North Park
University, ed. 1996-1999. Koeller, David 22 November 2001.
<http://campus.northpark.edu/history/webChron/WestEurope/Tours.html>
"Charles Martel," Catholic
Encyclopedia. Vol, 3. 2nd Paragraph. GODEFROID KURTH, New York: 1999, Kevin
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"Charles Martel," Encyclopedia.com.
Electronic Library. 15 November 2001 < http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/02581.html>
"Charles Martel," Encarta: CD-ROM
(USA: Microsoft Corporation, 2001)
Durant, Will. " The Western Existent of
Islam in Spain and France," The Spread of Islam. Ex. Ed. Bruno Leone. San Diego
California: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1999. 86-94
Payne, Robert, The History of Islam
(New York: Dorset Press, 1990) 142-143
"Tours, Battle of" encyclopedia
Britannica Online. <http://search.eb.com/bol/topic?eu=62108&sctn=17>
[Accessed Nov. 8. 2001]
* This date has been said to be inaccurate by
some recent historians. Some say that the battle happened in 733. (DISCovering World
History)