522. Warlords of the West: A Clash of Ice and Fire (Part 3)
whatshot 124 snips
Dec 16, 2024
Dive into the dramatic clash of the Battle of Tours as Frankish warlord Charles Martel faces the Umayyad forces. Discover how this monumental confrontation shaped European identity, viewed through differing historical lenses. Explore the rapid Muslim conquests in the Iberian Peninsula and their implications for the Christian territories. Uncover the intricate power dynamics of early medieval Gaul while connecting the battle's outcome to the rise of Charlemagne. Plus, hints of celestial omens add a quirky twist to this historical saga!
01:01:41
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Hitler's Perspective on Tours
Hitler praised the Battle of Tours' losers, viewing Christianity as a weak religion.
He believed Islam, which glorifies heroism, would have spurred Germanic world conquest.
insights INSIGHT
A Sensitive Debate
The Battle of Tours' importance is debated; some see it as pivotal, others as overblown.
This debate is unusually sensitive, echoing modern anxieties about Islam in Europe.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Far-Right Appropriation
Far-right groups have appropriated Charles Martel, naming a terrorist group after him.
The Christchurch mosque shooter inscribed his name on his gun, highlighting the toxic appropriation.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
This book, written by Bernard S. Bachrach, delves into the military history of the early Carolingian period. It argues for a conscious and coherent long-term strategy by the Carolingians to reconquer and absorb peripheral areas into their realm. The book examines various aspects of Carolingian warfare, including military organization, training, equipment, morale, battlefield tactics, and campaigning strategies. Bachrach uses sources such as ninth-century Carolingian capitularies and works by historians like Gregory of Tours and Hincmar of Rheims to support his arguments. The book challenges some prevailing views on early medieval history, particularly those labeled as 'primitivist,' and presents a more organized and sophisticated view of Carolingian military capabilities[2][3][5].
And the Rest Is History
Tales of Hostages, Arms Dealers, Dirty Tricks, and Spies
Ken Timmerman
And the Rest Is History takes readers on a journey from Paris to Beirut, Baghdad, and beyond, introducing them to spies, terrorists, arms dealers, and crooks. The book includes riveting testimony of the author’s torture and born-again experience as a hostage in a Beirut cellar, unusual insights into the beginnings of the Iran–Contra scandal, eyewitness reporting from Middle Eastern battlefields, and the inside scoop on Saddam Hussein’s WMD programs. It also explores French government dirty tricks, the intelligence underworld, Israeli hostage negotiations, and the real-life escapades of a Soviet sleeper agent. The book is a reporter’s journey from Left-Bank leftist to born-again Christian conservative and offers a unique perspective on journalism and recent history.
Ecclesiastical History of the English People
Venerable Bede
The Ecclesiastical History of the English People is a comprehensive historical account of the English Church from the Roman occupation to Bede's own time, offering valuable insights into early medieval England.
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
Edward Gibbon
This magisterial history, written by Edward Gibbon, covers the peak of the Roman Empire, the history of early Christianity, the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and the rise and fall of various other empires and civilizations up to the fall of Byzantium in 1453. Gibbon's work is renowned for its thorough scholarship, diverse sources, and engaging prose. He argues that the Roman Empire succumbed to barbarian invasions partly due to the gradual loss of civic virtue among its citizens and critiques the role of Christianity in the empire's decline. The work was published in six volumes between 1776 and 1789 and has remained a seminal work in historical literature despite some criticisms from modern scholars[2][4][5].
By 711 Europe and the Frankish warlords were facing a graver threat than ever before. Bands of Northern African, nominally Muslim raiders had begun a steady incursion throughout the West, loosely unified under the banner of the Umayyads. Having already taken and plundered the Christian territories of the Goths, their eyes now fell upon the Frankish kingdom in Gaul, by now the greatest power in Europe. It would be a formidable prize if taken. But fortunately for the Franks, their leader was the greatest of their warlords since the rise of Clovis I: the mighty Charles Martel. Finally, the two great hosts - Charles with his allies from Aquitaine and the Umayyads under the leadership of Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi. A world shaking, spear shattering, blood-letting battle would ensue, the outcome of which would come to determine the future of Europe.
Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the build up to, climax, and aftermath of the Battle of Tours - one of the most important battles in Western history, which would prove the making of the Franks, and pave the road to the ascent of Charlemagne.
The Rest Is History 
