The Battle of Cologne was fought near the city of Cologne (in modern Germany) in the year 716. The battle is known chiefly as the first battle of Charles Martel's command and his the only major defeat of his life. The Battle of Amblève took place in 716. ... Cologne (German: ; Kölsch: Kölle) is Germanys fourth-largest city after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the largest European metropolitan areas with over 12 million... Events April 19 - The monastery on the Island of Iona celebrates Easter on the Roman date. ... For the 13th century titular King of Hungary, see Charles Martel dAnjou. ...

In 716, the king of the Franks, Chilperic II, and Ragenfrid, the mayor of the palace of Neustria, invaded Austrasia to impose their will on the competing factions there: those of Theudoald and Plectrude, grandson (and designated heir) and widow respectively of Martel's father Pepin of Heristal, and those of Martel himself, newly escaped from Plectrude's Cologne prison and acclaimed mayor of the palace of Austrasia. Simultaneously Radbod, Duke of Frisia invaded Austrasia and allied with the king and the Neustrians. The following list of Frankish Kings is one of several Wikipedia lists of incumbents. ... Chilperic II refers to either: Chilperic II of Neustria and I of Austrasia Chilperic II of the Franks This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Ragenfrid (also Ragenfred, Raganfrid, or Ragamfred) (d. ... Mayor of the Palace was an early medieval title and office, also known by the Latin name, maior domus or majordomo, used most notably in the Frankish kingdoms in the 7th and 8th centuries. ... Neustria & Austrasia The territory of Neustria originated in A.D. 511, made up of the regions from Aquitaine to the English Channel, approximating most of the north of present-day France, with Paris and Soissons as its main cities. ... Austrasia & Neustria Austrasia formed the north-eastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of present-day eastern France, western Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. ... Theudoald or Theodald was the mayor of the palace of Neustria, briefly in 714, after the death of his father, Grimoald II. He was illegitimate, but his grandmother Plectrude tried anyway to have him recognised by Pepin of Heristal as the legitimate heir to all the Pippinid lands instead of... Plectrude or Plectrudis (d. ... Pippin of Herstal ( Pépin), also known as Pippin the Middle, (b. ... Several kings named Radbod (Frisian Redbod) were king of the Frisians, (dux in the Merovingian chronicles). ...

Outside of Cologne, the ultimate target of the invasive army, held still by Plectrude, an ill-prepared Charles Martel, who'd had little time to gather many men, was defeated and forced to flee to the mountains of the Eifel. Martel had only recently been freed from imprisonment by Plectrude after his father's death, and most of his followers had not gathered. Faced with overwhelming numbers, lack of his own mnen, and no time to prepare, Charles chose to do the only thing he could: flee until he could gather his supporters and prepare. Cologne then fell after a short siege to the king and the Neustrians. The Eifel is a hilly region in Germany. ...

But the mountains of the Eifel, Charles had begun to rally his supporters, and he fell on the army of Chilperic II, and at the Battle of Amblève near Ameland Ragenfrid as they returned triumphantly from Cologne, and crushed their army. He used a feigned retreat, among other tactics for which he would become famous, primarily, attacking his foes when they least expected it, usually outnumbered, and depending on his generalship - in this case falling on his foes as they rested at midday, and feigning falling back to draw them fully out of a defensive position, where he crushed them at all. He remained undefeated thereafter for twenty-five years, against a wide variety of foes, foreign and domestic, including his legendary defeat of the giant Muslim invasion of Europe at the Battle of Tours. Combatants Franks Umayyad Caliphate Commanders Charles Martel Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi Abd er Rahman† Strength 15,000-75,000 60,000-200,000 Casualties about 1500 reported in western history, but probably heavier; unknown, but reported massive, notably Emir Abd er Rahman 1. ...

Sources

• Oman, Charles. The Dark Ages 476-918. Rivingtons: London, 1914.