The Battle to Stop Islam from Dominating Europe

The defeat at the Battle of Tours in 732 contributed significantly to ending the Muslim ambition to dominate Europe.

Frankish forces defending Tours. Photo: Wikipedia.

One hundred years after the death of the Prophet Mohammad, Muslim armies conquered vast territories stretching from the Middle East to Spain, before reaching Gaul, now France. On October 10, 732, Muslim armies faced off against the Christian Frankish kingdom in the most decisive battle in history, greatly influencing the future shape of Europe, according to National Review.

After defeating the Byzantine Empire, the Muslim armies marched through North Africa and conquered Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. In 711, they crossed the Strait of Gibraltar into Europe.

The Muslim conquests helped spread culture and religion, but also posed a direct threat to Christianity in the West. In each conquered land, people were forced to convert to Islam. After defeating the Visigoths in Spain, the Muslim armies continued their invasion of the duchy of Aquitaine.

King Odo of Aquitaine asked the Franks for help in repelling the invasion, and was accepted by Prince Charles Martel, the head of the Frankish kingdom. The Frankish kingdom was then the largest state in Western Europe, a Christian state, with a strong army with an elite heavily armored infantry as its core.

On October 10, 732, 30,000 Frankish and 80,000 Umayyad Muslim troops faced off in northeastern France. The battle was between Frankish infantry and the cavalry of General Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi.

Prince Charles, aware of the threat from the southwest, built an army with a core of heavy infantry trained professionally all year round, and a small reserve of peasant soldiers. They were equipped with heavy armor and used weapons including shields, daggers, javelins and axes.

The Muslim invasion of Europe in 732. Photo: Wikipedia.

The Muslim army was so confident in its ability to crush any European opponent that it neglected reconnaissance, allowing Charles to choose his battlefield. He deployed troops to intercept the Muslim forces on their way to Tours. Prince Charles did not choose the easiest route, but instead chose to confront them head-on in an area between Poitiers and Tours.

The Frankish soldiers used a square fighting formation similar to that of the ancient Greeks. To counter the Muslim cavalry, Charles placed his troops in high positions protected by trees and rough terrain.

When the Muslims encountered the Frankish formation blocking their way, they were surprised and confused by the lack of scouting information. General Ghafiqi was forced to delay and try to reconnoiter his new opponent. This required the Muslims to send out patrols to gather information and engage in small-scale clashes, which was exactly what the Franks intended.

The Muslims had to fight far from home in colder weather, while the Franks fought on their own territory. The Franks' long-term advantageous defensive position left the Muslims with only the option of risking an attack or retreating.

The first days of fighting ended with neither side gaining a clear advantage. The Franks held their ground, surprising Ghafiqi with their superior numbers. Both sides continued to build up their forces in preparation for the decisive battle after a week of small-scale fighting.

The Muslims attempted to crush the enemy with cavalry charges. In several attacks, the Muslim cavalry broke through and penetrated the Frankish formation, but were always driven back and suffered heavy casualties. Prince Charles's forces maintained a strategic defensive formation.

Equipment of the Frankish infantry at the Battle of Tours. Photo: Wikipedia.

In turn, Frankish scouts also broke into Muslim camps, liberating prisoners and causing chaos. The chaos in the rear and the fear that the spoils of war might fall into Frankish hands caused many Muslim groups to retreat on their own, greatly affecting the attack.

Ghafiqi attempted to halt the retreat, but left many gaps in the defense. A Frankish soldier took the opportunity to assassinate Ghafiqi, causing the Muslim army to fall into disarray, disintegrate, and retreat back to Spain. The Franks held their defensive formation, not pursuing them for fear of being ambushed.

Historians estimate that the Muslims lost between 8,000 and 10,000 men, while the Franks lost around 1,000. After Tours, Prince Charles, nicknamed “the Hammer,” and King Odo became Christian heroes. Although they failed to crush their opponents, the battle of Tours halted the spread of Islam in Europe.

"To this day, the Battle of Tours is still considered one of the great events in world history, because it decided whether Christianity or Islam would dominate throughout Europe," historian Godefroid Kurth emphasized.

According to VNE