Charles Martel

Article abstract: Through skill, good fortune, and ruthless ambition, Charles Martel rose to dominate the kingdom of the Franks and its weak Merovingian kings, laying the groundwork for his son Pippin to be recognized as the first Carolingian king of the Franks and for his grandson Charlemagne to emerge as the first Holy Roman Emperor. Charles not only founded the Carolingian dynasty but also led Frankish forces to check the Muslim advance into southern France in 732, achieving fame in the Battle of Tours and earning the surname Martel (“the Hammer”).

Early...

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