Puberty
In the year 660 Felix of Aquitaine, a Gallo-Roman patrician from Toulouse receives the title of Duke of both Vasconia & Aquitaine (region between Garonne & Loire Rivers). It seems that Frankish sovereignty over Aquitaine & Gascony was undisputed during the first years of Felix’s rule but weakened in the coming years as his successors became increasingly independent. Odo the Great ascended to the ducal throne sometime before the year 700 & declared himself independent in 715 during the civil war that raged in Francia. Between Neustria & Chilperic II on one hand & Austrasia & Charles Martel on the other, Odo allied himself with the first who in his turn offered him recognition of his kingship. In 718 Chilperic II lost the last decisive battle with Charles Martel & fled to Aquitaine. Odo gave up on Chilperic II, in exchange for the recognition of his dukedom and surrendered the fugitive king to the winner of the war. Soon after Odo had to fight the Muslim Umayyads who had already conquered Visigoth Hispania and tried to advance further north. On 721 at the Battle of Toulouse the Muslim forces experienced their first major and decisive defeat with thousands of casualties. The victory was celebrated by the Pope who declared the Aquitanian Duke “A champion of Christianity” who had every right for a full independence of his realm.
Charles Martel however was not willing to forget Odo’s misbehaving, so in 731 he crossed River Loire, breaking the peace treaty between them, he plundered Aquitaine & defeated Odo’s forces. After a year Muslim forces led by another Berber lord defeated Odo in a battle near Bordeaux & sacked the city.
After his defeat Odo re-organized his decimated forces & marched north to plea for help & warn the Franks for the impending threat. In exchange for the receiving help the Duke consented to the complete assimilation to the Frankish kingdom. The alliance led by Charles Martel triumphed over the Muslim army at the Battle of Tours also known as the Battle of Poitiers in 732. The matter of Muslim advance in Aquitaine and Frankia was decided to a great extent in that crucial battle.
