CLEP Western Civ I

Answer: D - Frankish leader Charles Martel was the hero of the Battle of Tours, and the victory allowed him to lay the foundations of the Carolingian Empire, which became a dominant force in Europe in the following century. In 732, the Muslim Umayyad Caliphate was in the middle of a seismic campaign of territorial expansion beyond Arabia, which also allowed them to spread Islam. The Muslims had recently conquered most of Spain before they moved into France. Had the Franks not won, the Muslims likely would have continued expanding into the Europe, imposing Islam in any territory that was added to their realm. More importantly, the establishment of the Carolingian Empire was a pivotal event because Charles Martel’s grandson, Charlemagne, became one of the most significant figures in the Middle Ages. (Note: To be fair, none of the people who were recognized in their time as single-handedly saving Europe from Islamic seizure were truly owed that much credit. Martel did block Muslim expansion, but other factors were at work, too.)