When Charles Martel was called up from Eternity by the Kid I confess I didn't know a lot about him. Come to find out he was a brilliant general and administrator who was humble enough to turn down titles such as King and Consul for the more austere Duke and Prince of the Franks. Appearing on the scene in the early 700's, Charles had the rare gift for the Middle Ages of being both a strategic and tactical master, capable of adapting his tactics on the fly in the heat of battle. In a number of instances he triumphed despite the fact that he faced superior numbers and weaponry. Arab conquests in the 7th Century had disrupted Mediterranean trade routes leading to a decline in the European economy. If Charles Martel had not halted Islamic expansion into Europe from 732 onward it could have led to economic disaster for the Europeans. Certainly a pivotal charater of the period and as it turns out the grandfather of Charlemagne. The figure is a French pewter figure of Charles Martel I painted.
No comments:
Post a Comment