The Frankish victory halted the Umayyad advance into Western Europe and helped establish the foundations of Carolingian dominance over the continent.
Key Facts
- Date
- 10 October 732
- Frankish commander
- Charles Martel
- Umayyad commander
- Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi
- Umayyad commander fate
- Killed in combat during the battle
- Frankish cavalry
- Fought without heavy cavalry
- Outcome
- Frankish and Aquitanian victory; Umayyad army withdrew
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Umayyad Caliphate had been expanding through the Iberian Peninsula and launched an invasion of Gaul under Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi, governor of al-Andalus. The Umayyad forces pushed northward through Aquitaine, threatening the Frankish realm and the independent duchy ruled by Odo the Great.
Near the town of Poitiers in northern Aquitaine, Frankish and Aquitanian forces under Charles Martel engaged a larger Umayyad army. The Frankish infantry held their ground without heavy cavalry. Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi was killed in the fighting, and the Umayyad army subsequently withdrew from the battlefield.
The defeat halted the Umayyad northward advance into Western Europe. Charles Martel emerged with consolidated power while Odo of Aquitaine was weakened. The battle contributed to the rise of the Carolingian Empire and Frankish dominance over western Europe for the following century. Later chroniclers awarded Charles the epithet 'Martel' (the Hammer) for his many victories.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Charles Martel, Odo the Great.
Side B
1 belligerent
Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi.