The city in which the Franks defeated the Arabs is the mystery of the so-called Battle of Poitiers

Probably, many of us have already forgotten the information from school textbooks. Problems in mathematics, chronological tables on history ... But in vain. After all, we ourselves have children who often ask to answer the seemingly unsolvable question. For example, a son or daughter will stick to you and ask you to say how the city was called, from which the Franks defeated the Arabs. Grade 6, the history of the Middle Ages is the first thing that comes to mind. After all, we were taught something similar. But what about the details? What is it really for the place and how was it? Was the battle really there? What is the significance of this event and why is it so popular that it got into crosswords and textbooks? Briefly this story and other facts are set out below.

The city in which the Franks defeated the Arabs. 6 letters in its title or 3?

The battle that occurred in 732 is called in monographs and historical chronicles in different ways. School textbooks often speak of the Battle of Poitiers. What is the name of the city, in which the Franks defeated the Arabs (6 letters)? This question is often found in crossword puzzles on a historical theme. In this case, we are also talking about Poitiers. But if we look at historical sources, we will see that this battle is often called the Battle of Tours. But the Arab chroniclers generally refer to it as "the battle of the shahids' cohort." The exact place of the battle is not fixed in any document.

Time is known. A place?

Western European and Arab chroniclers claim that on October 10, 732, a battle took place between the forces of the francs led by the major of Australia, Carl Martell, and the Arabs from the Umayyad caliphate. The latter were led by the Governor-General of Al-Andalus Abdurrahman ibn Abdallah. In this battle, as you know, the Franks won. The Arab commander was killed. And Karl Martell became a very powerful ruler of the lands of Southern Europe. But what was the name of the city, in which the Franks defeated the Arabs? No chronicle gives us an exact answer to this question. Let's look at it in more detail.

Prehistory

The Arab dynasty of Umavi, or the Umayyads, possessed one of the most powerful armies in the world. It actually was a huge empire, the land of which stretched from the territory of modern Pakistan to the Iberian Peninsula. Their main enemy in Europe was the kingdom of the Franks, which united the lands of present-day Northern and Central France, parts of Germany and Holland. Their leader Karl Martell dreamed of uniting under his authority all of Europe and turning it into an empire like the Roman Empire. Between him and the Arabs was the independent duchy of Aquitaine. Both forces tried to seize him and subjugate him, thereby changing the existing balance in his favor. Many historians believe that the city, in which the Franks defeated the Arabs, became a battleground, which determined the fate of the whole of Europe and even Christianity.

The battlefield and its course

When the Umayyad troops began to capture southern Europe, the Duke of Aquitaine Ed, or Evdon, tried to deal with them on his own, but he could not. Then he turned to Karl Martell for help. He agreed to help, but only on condition that Aquitania recognizes the supremacy of the Franks. The Arabs did not pay attention to this. Their general believed that the Franks are savage Germanic tribes who do not know how to fight. They underestimated the strength of the enemy, and this was one of the reasons for their defeat.

The battlefield was chosen by Karl Martell himself. He wanted his troops to stand on a hill, covered with forest, and the Arabs would be the first to attack. And he succeeded. Therefore, the city, in which the Franks defeated the Arabs, chose the major of Australia. This area was halfway between Tur and Poitiers. That is why historians call the battle by the name of one or another city. Winter was approaching, to which the Arabs were not ready. Karl Martell waited a week to force them to attack on conditions favorable to him, and at that time reinforcements came up to him. Therefore, when the Arab cavalry began to tear up in the woodland, its advantage was reduced to zero. In addition, Karl succeeded in various rumors to sow panic in the ranks of the enemy, force many riders to retreat, encircle the enemy commander and kill him. Thus, the Battle of Tours (or Poitiers) was won.

Value

Traditionally, many historians believed that the city, in which the Franks defeated the Arabs, became a landmark. They believed that the Battle of Poitiers turned the history of Europe. If Carl Martell did not stop the Arabs, then Europe would become Muslim, and there would be neither the empire of Charlemagne nor the modern civilization. Another group of historians argues that the value of this battle is overrated. For example, the Muslim chroniclers, while recognizing the defeat of their troops at Tours, nevertheless represent this battle as a minor skirmish, which did not particularly affect the further alignment of forces.

Some modern historians believe that the Arab commander only wanted to plunder a rich monastery in Tours, and he had no far-reaching plans. Therefore, the assertion that this battle saved Christian Europe is at least an exaggeration. In any case, no chronicle has brought to us the exact name of the city, in which the Franks defeated the Arabs. The only thing we know is that the battle took place at the confluence of two rivers, among forests and hills, between two cities.