The Myth of Charles Martel: Why the Islamic Caliphate Ceased Military Operations in Western Europe After the Battle of Tours

Abstract

The Battle of Tours and its victorious leader Charles Martel are often presented as a single event that defined the course of historical events in Western Europe. The motives that drove Arab forces to invade Gaul in 732 have their roots in a century of expansion beginning in 634 in the Arabian Peninsula. The factors that drove the success of the conquest, including the incorporation of local forces would weaken over time. By the time the Battle of Tours was fought the forces driving Arab expansion were stretched to the point of breaking. The following rebellion by the Berbers and the loss of North Africa and Spain, in addition to the loss of the majority of the Caliphate’s Western manpower in the Berbers, prevented further Arab encroachment into Western Europe. The Battle of Tours and other victories by Charles Martel are not inconsequential, but it was ultimately the Berber Revolt that shattered the Western Caliphate and left the Franks free to consolidate their hold on Europe.