![]() An Islamic invasion of France was turned away at the Battle of Poitiers in 732, and a Western counter-offensive known as the Reconquista lasted about 700 more years. By the middle of the 8th century, the Islamic Caliphate had conquered the Levant, parts of North Africa, and even parts of Spain, all regions which had converted to Christianity in the previous three centuries. From Arabia, Islam surged forth onto the world stage in the 7th century as a religion carried by the force of arms. The conflict between Christianity and Islam has been one of the defining factors in Europe and the Middle East, and while this dichotomy might be an excessively simple and incomplete explanation, there is no doubt that it has generated the world today. For nearly 1,000 years, there had been a clash for the souls, hearts, and bodies of societies across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Salamis, Hastings, Agincourt, Waterloo, Sedan, and Stalingrad all fit into this category, and the 1683 Battle of Vienna or Kahlenberg (named after a hill near the city) can also, with eminent justification, be placed in the list of era-changing conflicts. Seismic shifts pivot upon the outcome of such events, and many of them come from battles, for it is an unfortunate but irrefutable fact of history that humanity is shaped by the force of arms. There are certain events that are famous not so much in themselves, noteworthy as they might be, but on account of their role in the context of history. General Starhemberg hugged and kissed me and called me his saviour.” – Polish King John III Sobieski ![]() it is victory as nobody ever knew before, the enemy now completely ruined, everything lost for them. tents, sheep, cattle and no small number of camels. *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |