View source for Battle of Amblève

{{Short description|716 battle}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict    = Battle of Amblève
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| date        = 716
| place       = [[Amel]]
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| map_type    =Belgium#Europe
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| result      = Austrasia victory
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| combatant1  = [[Austrasia]]
| combatant2  = [[Neustria]]<br />[[Frisians]]
| combatant3  = 
| commander1  = [[Charles Martel]]
| commander2  = [[Chilperic II]]<br />[[Ragenfrid]]<br />[[Redbad, King of the Frisians]]
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{{Battles of the Frankish Civil War of 715-718}}
{{Campaignbox Frisian–Frankish wars}}
{{Campaignbox Charles Martel}}
The '''Battle of Amblève''' took place in 716 near [[Amel]]. The [[mayor of the palace]] of [[Austrasia]], [[Charles Martel]], defeated his [[Neustria]]n and [[Frisians|Frisian]] rivals who were led by King [[Chilperic II]], his mayor [[Ragenfrid]], and [[Redbad, King of the Frisians]]. It was the first major victory of Martel in a long career of victories. In this battle Martel began demonstrating the military genius which would mark the remainder of his life.

==History==
Following his defeat at [[Battle of Cologne|Cologne]], Martel rallied his supporters in the mountains of the [[Eifel]]. Many Austrasians, under attack by Neustrians, Frisians, and Saxons in the northeast likely rallied behind Martel because he was the only surviving adult male of the Pippinnid family.<ref name=Costambeys>[https://books.google.com/books?id=OkSG3X-M80oC&dq=Charles+Martel+%2B+Battle+of+Soissons+%28718%29&pg=PA43 Costambeys, Marios, Innes, Matthew, and MacLean, Simon. ''The Carolingian World'', Cambridge University Press, 2011]</ref> His forces then attacked the army of [[Chilperic II]] and his allies at the Battle of Amblève near Amel as they returned triumphantly from Cologne. Martel used a [[feigned retreat]], falling on his foes as they rested at midday, and feigning falling back to draw them fully out of a defensive position, where he defeated them. According to the ''[[Annals of Metz]]'' the casualties he inflicted on his foes were substantial. Martel remained undefeated until his death 25 years later.

Subsequently, Martel recovered much of the ransom paid by [[Plectrude]] to the king and Ragenfrid for [[Cologne]].

A "feigned retreat," which became famous as one of the Mongols' three favorite tactics, is one of the most difficult to perform during a battle, requiring discipline on the part of the troops and good timing on the part of the commander. The tactic involves getting troops to appear to flee only to reverse and stand once they have lured an opponent out of a stronger position, and have usually strung them out in pursuit, where they are easily picked off.  Martel was the only general known to use it during the [[Dark Ages (historiography)|Dark Ages]].

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*[[Bernard Bachrach|Bachrach, Bernard S.]] (2000). ''Early Carolingian Warfare: Prelude to Empire''. University of Pennsylvania Press. {{ISBN|0-8122-3533-9}} 
*Bennett, Bradsbury, Devries, Dickie and Jestice, ''Fighting Techniques of the Medieval World'' 
*Davies, Wendy and Fouracre, Paul (2002). ''Property and Power in the Early Middle Ages''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|0-521-52225-0}}
*Halsall, Guy (2003). ''Warfare and Society in the Barbarian West 450-900''. London: Routledge. {{ISBN|0-415-23939-7}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Ambleve}}
[[Category:Battles involving Francia|Ambleve]]
[[Category:710s conflicts|Amblève]]
[[Category:Battles of the Middle Ages|Amblève]]
[[Category:716]]
[[Category:Amel]]
[[Category:8th century in Francia]]
[[Category:History of Liège Province|Battle]]
[[Category:Charles Martel]]