Charles Martel

Charles Martel
Duke and Prince of the Franks Mayor of the Palace
19th century sculpture at the Palace of Versailles
Duke and Prince of the Franks
Reign	718–741
Coronation	718
Predecessor	Pepin of Herstal
Successor	Pepin the Short
Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia
Reign	715–741
Coronation	715
Predecessor	Theudoald
Successor	Carloman
Mayor of the Palace of Neustria
Reign	718–741
Coronation	718
Predecessor	Ragenfrid
Successor	Pepin the Short
King of the Franks (acting)
Reign	737–741
Coronation	737
Predecessor	Theuderic IV
Successor	Childeric III
Born	c. 686 Herstal
Died	22 October 741 (aged 55) Quierzy
Burial	Basilica of St Denis
Spouse	Rotrude of Trier Swanhild
Issue	Carloman Pepin Grifo Bernard Remigius Hiltrud Others
House	Carolingian (Founder)
Father	Pepin of Herstal
Mother	Alpaida

Charles Martel (c. 686 – 22 October 741) was a Frankish statesman and military leader who as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. The son of the Frankish statesman Pepin of Herstal and a noblewoman named Alpaida, Charles successfully asserted his claims to power as successor to his father as the power behind the throne in Frankish politics. Continuing and building on his father's work, he restored centralized government in Francia and began the series of military campaigns that re-established the Franks as the undisputed masters of all Gaul.

After work to establish a unity in Gaul, Charles' attention was called to foreign conflicts, and dealing with the Islamic advance into Western Europe was a foremost concern. Arab and Berber Islamic forces had conquered Spain (711), crossed the Pyrenees (720), seized a major dependency of the Visigoths (721–725), and after intermittent challenges, under Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, the Arab Governor of al-Andalus, advanced toward Gaul and on Tours, "the holy town of Gaul"; in October 732, the army of the Umayyad Caliphate led by Al Ghafiqi met Frankish and Burgundian forces under Charles in an area between the cities of Tours and Poitiers (modern north-central France), leading to a decisive, historically important Frankish victory known as the Battle of Tours (or ma'arakat Balâṭ ash-Shuhadâ, Battle of the Palace of Martyrs), ending the "last of the great Arab invasions of France," a military victory termed "brilliant" on the part of Charles.

Charles further took the offensive after Tours, destroying fortresses at Agde, Béziers and Maguelonne, and engaging Islamic forces at Nimes, though ultimately failing to recover Narbonne (737) or to fully reclaim the Visigoth's Narbonensis. He thereafter made significant further external gains against fellow Christian realms, establishing Frankish control over Bavaria, Alemannia, and Frisia, and compelling some of the Saxon tribes to offer tribute (738).