The first Moorish setback in Europe
Muslim forces set their sights on Iberia in 711 AD, fought the Visigoth king’s armies at Guadalete in southern Andalusia and continued north quickly thereafter. By 721 AD they had conquered the whole peninsula save some minor areas in the north, crossed the Pyrenees where they conquered Septimania (a stretch of land which includes much of the French Riviera) and its capital Narbonne. They then continued into Aquitaine, an area containing parts of what is today south-western France as well as much of Basque Country. At the time, Aquitaine was ruled by Odo the Great who had declared himself independent of Frankia in 715.
That was also the area where the now defeated Visigoths had established their original capital almost three hundred years earlier, in Toulouse. Now, the Moors were about to lay siege to the most important city in Aquitaine at the time, and possibly continue deeper into a Europe already at war.
Take a look at Bazbattles’ video on The Battle of Toulouse 721 AD. It is a tale of both bravery and fortune.
Also, check out our Brief History of Spain page!
The Moorish invasion came to a full stop in 732 AD
Following the loss at Toulouse in 721 AD, the Muslims tried to conquer areas in the mountainous north of Iberia. But, they found themselves outmaneuvered by a small group of Iberians and Visigoth nobles at The Battle of Covadonga. The area was not deemed to be of much importance strategically nor with regards to resources or trade and was mostly left alone. The Moorish armies instead set their sights on the much bigger prize of Frankia.
In 732 AD they had gathered sufficient strength to once again move against the Frankish heartlands. They invaded through Odo’s domain of Aquitaine, passed the city of Poitiers and met Charles Martel and his allies’ armies on their way to the city of Tours.
Here is the story of that encounter from Real Crusades History:
A later face off at The Battle of the River Berre in 737 AD pushed the Muslims further back from Frankish lands and in the 750s AD Charles Martel’s son, Pepin the Short, conquered the city of Narbonne in Septimania. That ended Muslim rule north of the Pyrenees. The Franks pushed further southwards and conquered areas in north-eastern Iberia as well, effectively creating a buffer zone between the Frankish and the Muslim realms. This conflicted area was later labelled Marca Hispanica or the Hispanic March and is the root of northeastern Spain’s close relations with France, even to this day.
Also, check out our Brief History of Spain page!
Featured image Real Crusades History video from Youtube.
We at Find Your Spain publish in-house written articles and provide links to content from other sources which we hope you will find useful, interesting, and informative. Got a tip for us? Drop us a line, comment on a post.
If you enjoyed this article please like us on Facebook or subscribe at FindYourSpain.com. It’s free. And, share our sites with friends and family.
