Charles Martel

On October 25, 732, Charles Martel stopped the expansion of the Umayyad army commanded by Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi during a major battle between Tours and Poitiers. The Frankish army, firmly entrenched in a defensive position, held off several enemy charges. The death of Abd al-Rahman in the heart of the melee led to the disorganization and nighttime flight of the Umayyad army. This victory marks a symbolic and strategic turning point in resistance to Muslim expansion in Western Europe.

In 737, during his great expedition in southern Gaul, Charles Martel faced a large army formed by the Umayyads and their local allies, notably the Berber leader Uthman ibn Naissa, known as Munuza. This coalition attempted to relieve Narbonne, then threatened by Frankish troops. Charles Martel intercepts Muslim forces at the Berre River, a strategic point close to the Mediterranean. The battle turned to the advantage of the Franks, who inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. Although Narbonne still resisted, this victory crushed the relief army and consolidated Frankish domination over a large part of Septimania.

In the spring of 737, Charles Martel launched a major campaign against the Umayyad possessions in Septimania and besieged Narbonne, a Muslim stronghold and gateway to invasions in Gaul. Despite a series of victories over neighboring cities and the encirclement of the city, the defenders held on thanks to the regular arrival of reinforcements by sea from Al-Andalus. The Franks won several battles around the city but were unable to capture it. Faced with new threats to the north, Charles Martel lifted the siege in the fall.

In the spring of 739, Charles Martel won his last major victory against a Muslim and Berber coalition in the Têt valley, near Perpignan. The Franks intercept and crush enemy forces attempting to defend or resupply Narbonne. This victory consolidates the isolation of the Muslim stronghold and puts an end to lasting Muslim incursions into Septimania.