Parents: Pepin II, mayor of the palace
Born: circa 688
House: Carolingian
Spouse(s): (1) Rotrude, daughter of Leudwinus, count of Treves, and Willigard of Bavaria, then (2) Swanhild of the Agilolfings
Predecessor: Pepin II
Reign: 717 – 741
Brief: The career of Charles Martel began with a bang in 715 when he broke out of prison to be acclaimed mayor of the palace of Neustria. King Chilperic II and Mayor Ragenfrid, his rival, rallied against him and dealt Charles his only defeat the next year. In 717, he reentered the fray and defeated both his rivals, marching to Neustria and claiming victory, replacing Chilperic with Chlotar IV as king of Austrasia. Thus began Charles' long life of military success. He began his wars by attacking first the pagan Saxons, and then the rest of the Germanic tribes. By 731, Charles had turned his attention to the Moors in the south. At the Battle of Toulouse in 721, Charles had stopped the Muslim advance, but now a new war would be started to push the Muslims back into Hispania. A new push northward by the Muslims met with the hammer that was Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours. The defeat of the Umayyad Caliphate there may have been so important as to have saved Western Europe from complete Islamic domination. Charles continued pushing the Muslims southward even as he also continued incursions into Germany and Italy. The death of King Theuderic IV in 737 left the Merovingian throne vacant, and Charles took the title "prince and duke of the Franks" until his own death four years later. Charles spent the last four years of his life reorganizing the administration of his various realms to create a more efficient sate, which he then handed to his successors, Carloman and Pippin the Short.
Brief: The career of Charles Martel began with a bang in 715 when he broke out of prison to be acclaimed mayor of the palace of Neustria. King Chilperic II and Mayor Ragenfrid, his rival, rallied against him and dealt Charles his only defeat the next year. In 717, he reentered the fray and defeated both his rivals, marching to Neustria and claiming victory, replacing Chilperic with Chlotar IV as king of Austrasia. Thus began Charles' long life of military success. He began his wars by attacking first the pagan Saxons, and then the rest of the Germanic tribes. By 731, Charles had turned his attention to the Moors in the south. At the Battle of Toulouse in 721, Charles had stopped the Muslim advance, but now a new war would be started to push the Muslims back into Hispania. A new push northward by the Muslims met with the hammer that was Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours. The defeat of the Umayyad Caliphate there may have been so important as to have saved Western Europe from complete Islamic domination. Charles continued pushing the Muslims southward even as he also continued incursions into Germany and Italy. The death of King Theuderic IV in 737 left the Merovingian throne vacant, and Charles took the title "prince and duke of the Franks" until his own death four years later. Charles spent the last four years of his life reorganizing the administration of his various realms to create a more efficient sate, which he then handed to his successors, Carloman and Pippin the Short.
Date of Death: 22 October 741
Successor: Carloman
Successor: Carloman
Other Monarchs Who Died Today:
- Fernando I, king of Portugal (1383)
- William IV, prince of Orange (1751)
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