Development students:

Today in class, I stated that Charles Martel’s famous battle against the Muslims was the Battle of Poitiers in 732. As a student pointed out after class, the new edition of your textbook states that it was, rather the Battle of Tours—NOT Poitiers, the textbook emphasizes—and that 732 is a wrong date, the battle taking place rather in 733 or 734.  In the interests of fairness, I will accept either date and either battle name if the question should come up on your midterm. Below, however, are a few references I have on hand which agree that the critical fighting took place somewhere between Poitiers and Tours—i.e., it is the same battle; that it is usually known as the Battle of Poitiers; and that it took place in October 732.

“Had Odo [Duke of Aquitaine] actually requested the help of Muslim troops against Charles Martel? The accusation was later made by Carolingian propagandists to discredit the Aquitainians and embellish Charles’ expliots. But when the new governor of Muslim Spain invaded and ravaged Aquitaine by way of Gascony in 732, Odo sought help from Charles [Martel]. The famous Battle of Poitiers was the result. After burning the monastery of St. Hilary in Poitiers, the Arabs advanced along the Roman road toward St. Martin’s in Tours with its fabled wealth. At the culmination of seven days of skirmishing, Odo and Charles defeated the invaders, probably near Moussais, on 25 October 732.” Cited from Pierre Riché, The Carolingians: a Family who Forged Europe (Philadelphia,1993; orig, published in French 1983), p. 44.

"The army of Abd-ar-Rahman was defeated by Charles [Martel] at the famous battle of Poitiers in 732. The battle not only halted further Arab advance northward but enabled Charles to enter Burgundy, establish his authority there, and parcel out lands... to his loyal followers." Cited from Rosamund McKitterick, The Frankish Kingdoms under the Carolingians, 751-987 (London, 1983), p. 32.

"Meanwhile, the greatest danger that had ever menaced the kingdom, that of the Mulsim advance, suddenly materialized: tje cavalry of the emir of Spain, Abd ar-Rahman, rushed out from Pamplona and bore down on Gascony and Bordeaux; soon they were at the gates of Poitiers (October 732), heading towards Tours and northern France.... On the very outskirts of Poitiers the two armies met. With serried ranks "immobile as a wall," according to a contemporary, but inspired with fierce strength, the Franks resolutely awaited the charge of the enemy, who proceeded to dash themselves to pieces upon the Frankish swords." Cited from Louis Halphen, Charlemagne and the Carolingian Empire (London, 1977; orig. published in French, 1947), p. 8.

“Charles defeated the Muslims in a battle on the plain midway between Tours and Poitiers, and immediately laid claim to be regarded as the hero of Christendom.” Cited from Clifford Backman, The Worlds of Medieval Europe (Oxford, 2003), p. 114.

After subduing rebellious lords in Burgundy, Charles Martel holds off the Muslim advance at Poitiers in 732—professor’s notes (sorry, I don’t have the book itself here) from Heinrich Fichtenau, The Carolingian Empire (Oxford, 1968), p. 16.

 “In 732 Abd-er-Rahman, Governor of Spain, crossed the Pyrenees at the head of an immense army, overcame Duke Eudes, and advanced as far as the Loire, pillaging and burning as he went. In October, 732, Charles met Abd-er-Rahman outside of Tours and defeated and slew him in a battle (the Battle of Poitiers) which must ever remain one of the great events in the history of the world.” Cited from the Catholic Encyclopedia entry on “Charles Martel”.