Person:Charles Martel (1)

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Charles Martel ( – 22 October 741) was a Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. He was a son of the Frankish statesman Pepin of Herstal and Pepin's mistress, a noblewoman named Alpaida. Charles, also known as "The Hammer" (in Old French, Martel), 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. According to a near-contemporary source, the Liber Historiae Francorum, Charles was "a warrior who was uncommonly [...] effective in battle".

Martel gained a very consequential victory against an Umayyad invasion of Aquitaine at the Battle of Tours, at a time when the Umayyad Caliphate controlled most of the Iberian Peninsula. Alongside his military endeavours, Charles has been traditionally credited with a seminal role in the development of the Frankish system of feudalism.

At the end of his reign, Charles divided Francia between his sons, Carloman and Pepin. The latter became the first king of the Carolingian dynasty. Pepin's son Charlemagne extended the Frankish realms and became the first emperor in the West since the fall of Rome.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Charles Martel, in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
2.   Charles Martel, King of the Franks, in Lundy, Darryl. The Peerage: A genealogical survey of the peerage of Britain as well as the royal families of Europe.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} CHARLES “Martel”, son of PEPIN [II] "le Gros" or "d'Herstal" & his second [wife] Chalpais [Alpais] ([690]-Quierzy-sur-Oise, Aisne 16 or 22 Oct 741, bur église de l'abbaye royale de Saint Denis)., in Cawley, Charles. Medieval Lands: A prosopography of medieval European noble and royal families.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5} Biographie a Wikipédia FR, in Wikipedia
   [[1]], trouvée 2016.

   Charles Martel (né vers 6901 né à Andenne, ville située à proximité de Namur, dans l'actuelle Belgique2 et mort le 16 ou le 22 octobre 7413 à Quierzy-sur-Oise4 dans l'actuel Aisne) fut le duc d'Austrasie, maire du palais de 717 à 741 et le souverain de facto du royaume des Francs (dux et princeps Francorum, duc et prince des Francs). Il est le fils de Pépin de Herstal, maire du palais d'Austrasie contrôlant les royaumes de Neustrie et de Bourgogne. Il est également le grand-père paternel de Charlemagne.