User:DawnTheFirst
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The Battles of Tour, Battle of Poitiers or the Battle of the Highway of the Martyrs was a battle probably in the town of Poitiers or Tour, it was part of the Umayyad Invasion of Gaul. It was a major battle during the invasion, it happened on October 10th, 732. The battle was a Frank victory which was led by Charles Martel and Odo the great, while the Umayyad's army was led by Abdul Rahman Al-Ghafiqi, an Andalusian leader. The Umayyad Caliphate had to retreat as a consequence of their loss. This was a big victory for the Frankish Empire. A lot of information about the battle has been lost or never found, such as the exact size and exact spot where the battle happened. But most people who were in the battle said that the Umayyad had a way bigger army, and that they lost more men. And some people said that the Franks didn't even use Heavy Cavalry. The battle took place somewhere between the city of Tour and the city of Poitiers.
Battle of Tours | |||||||
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Part of Umayyad Invasion of Gaul | |||||||
Painting of Charles Martel during the Battle of Tours | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Frankish Empire | |||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Units involved | |||||||
Umayyad Army | Vascones Tribe | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
20,000–25,000 men | 15,000–20,000 men | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
12,000 | 1,000 |
When the Umayyad leader Abdul Rahman al-Ghafiqi was killed in the battle, the Umayyad's army retreated and tried to run away from the Franks. The battle was important because it helped to make the Carolingian Empire later on, which was a mostly Frankish empire and also helped make the Franks control a lot of Western Europe.