Most Important Battles Challenge (4)

Thanks, HG.I choose for my first round the battle of Poitiers (also known as the Battle of Tours, 732 AD). While perhaps not as well known as other battles, the implications of this battle for mankind were enormous.Historical backgroundIslam had within almost a generation after Muhammad's death conquered much of the world, the Middle East, North Africa, and after crossing the straits of Gibraltar much of Iberia in a seemingly unstoppable advance; beginning to reach even Gaul (modern day France) conquering much of southern France (then know as Septimania) by the 730's. The decentralized Franks seemed to stand no chance against the might of Islam. When Charles Martel, the closest to"King" of the Franks there was, faced down the Islamic army at Poitiers, it's doubtful that many contemporary observers thought the Franks stood much of a chance against the Islamic army; however unlike most other Christian armies to face the Arabic armies, Martel's army did not flee, but stood their ground, managed to kill the Islamic general and routed the enemy. The turning point had begun. Implications The implications of this battle were threefold (note that "important" doesnt mean that the implications have to necessarily be positive, just significant to the history of the world): A) The defeat marked a turning point in Islamic invasion of Gaul, the Franks consolidated and retook Septimania in 759 and thus the islamification of France was avoided. Unlike Spain, there would be no French reconquista, no French religious wars until the reformation, ect. For France clearly, the cultural and religious upheavals that would have occurred were avoided. One simply needs to think of all the historical events France took part in and imagine an Islamic France in place and imagine how their behavior would have been different, and it's clear that even just looking at France alone this battle is highly significant in world history, just to name a single example, its unlikely that the Christian reconquest of Spain would've succeeded with Millions of French Muslims just across the border ready to take up arms and fight for the cresent. To be sure, with a central foothold in Europe Islam would have spread its wings, possibly throughout all of Europe. More on this later.B) The defeat blunted the Islamic advance into Europe. Barry S. Strauss, Professor of History at Cornell University explains[1] that, had the Franks lost at Poitiers, they likely would have lost their war against the Arabs and certainly failed to retake the South because the successor of Martel would be leading against the Muslims not "men made united and confident by their victory at Poitiers, nor facing, in the Muslims, an enemy that feared the Franks..." Strauss goes on to explain that, at the very least Southern France would remain under the banner of the cresent, but far more likely the inviting and weak cities of Paris and Orleans. Like the initial invasion of Spain,these raids likely would've turned into a complete conquest. From there, who knows where Islam would have advanced. Strauss says that its entirely possible that Islam would have even crossed the Channel and conquered the Anglo-saxons. The psychological blow and the resulting mentality of the Franks being, to use the common phrase, too tough of a nut to crack kept the Arab armies from making further serious incursions, only small raids after losing their war with the Franks. Just think, a Europe with a strong muslim presence if not domination, no pope, no crusades, no reformation, no Christianization of the new world, possibly not even Christianity as a serious force, ect. Poitiers clearly changed the enitre history of the world. C) Martels victory allowed his successors to consilidate and tighten their hold over Gaul, and extend their empire. Even if for some strange reason the Muslims didnt push their advantage after victory at Poitiers, it's extremely doubtful that Martels successor, Charlemagne, would have been able to push his empire so far east with a hostile Muslim force in the south, and France would still be fragmented. Any region with considerable French influence (most of Europe, much of North America and the Indies, Vietnam and the French Pacific) would have been completely different than they are today because the power of the Franks would have been broken and their monarchy weak. Who knows, had France inherited the culture of the Muslims, there would have likely been no French philosophes and so no or a weakened American Revolution, no French revolution, no democracy wave, the entire world could still be in the ancien regime of princely rule!Sources:1. Strauss, Barry S. "The Dark Ages Made Lighter." What If: Eminent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been. Vol. Collected. New York: American Historical Publications, 2001. 71-92. Print.