In the following decade Charles led the Frankish army against the eastern duchies.
He dealt with the ongoing conflict with the Frisians and Saxons to his northeast with some success, but full conquest of the Saxons and their incorporation into the Frankish empire would wait for his grandson Charlemagne.
Most importantly, instead of concentrating on conquest to his east, he prepared for the storm gathering in the west.
Well aware of the danger posed by the Muslims after the Battle of Toulouse, in 721, he used the intervening years to consolidate his power, and gather and train a veteran army that would stand ready to defend Christianity itself at Tours. It was in the Battle of Tours that Charles received the nickname "The Hammer" for the merciless way he hammered his enemies. This battle will always remain one of the great events in the history of the world, as upon its issue depended whether Christian Civilization should continue or Islam prevail throughout Europe. (Catholic History, Volume III)
After his victory at Tours, Martel continued on in more triumphant campaigns to drive other Muslim armies from bases after they again attempted to get a foothold in Europe. The defeats Martel inflicted on the Muslims were absolutely vital in that the split in the Islamic world left the Caliphate unable to mount an all out attack on Europe through its strength.
These victories were very important, had Charles lost these battles,
Europe would be an Islamic nation instead of Christian. (Catholic History, Volume III)
The final four years of Charles' life, was more peaceful than most of it had been and much of his time was now spent on administrative and organisational plans to create more efficient state. Charles set about integrating the outlying realms of his empire into the Frankish church. Charles was that rarest of commodities in the Dark Ages: a brilliant stategic general, who also was a tactical commander. Charles had the last quality which defines genuine greatness in a military commander: he foresaw the dangers of his foes, and prepared for them with care; he used ground, time, place, and fierce loyalty of his troops to offset his foe's superior weaponry and tactics; third, he adapted, again and again, to the enemy on the battlefield, cooly shifting to compensate for the unforeseen and unforeseeable.
Charlemagne: Charlemagne was the son of Pepin and the Grandson of Charles
Martel. When Peppin died he divided the dynasty among his two sons Carloman and Charlemagne.
Pepin invaded Italy to protect the pope against the Lombards in 756 and after 760
Pepin's main military efforts went into the conquest of Aquitaine, the lands south of the Loire River. This is important because when Pepin died in 768, still fighting with the Lombards, Charlemagne sought an alliance with the Lombards by marrying (770) the daughter of their king, Desiderius. (Charlemagne: Encyclopedia, Medieval History)
However, when Carloman died suddenly in 771, Charlemagne then seized his territories,...
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