Battle of Biography of Charles Martel, Frankish Ruler

Battle of Biography of Charles Martel, Frankish Ruler Charles Martel (August 23, 686 CE–October 22, 741 CE) was the leader of the Frankish army and, effectively, the ruler of the Frankish kingdom, or Francia (present-day Germany and France). He is known for winning the Battle of Tours in 732 CE and turning back the Muslim invasions of Europe. He is the grandfather of Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor. Fast Facts: Charles Martel Known For:  Ruler of the Frankish kingdom, known for winning the Battle of Tours and turning back the Muslim invasions of EuropeAlso Known As: Carolus Martellus, Karl Martell,  Martel (or the Hammer)Born:  August 23, 686 CEParents: Pippin the Middle and AlpaidaDied:  October 22, 741 CESpouse(s): Rotrude of Treves, Swanhild; mistress, RuodhaidChildren: Hiltrud, Carloman, Landrade, Auda, Pippin the Younger, Grifo, Bernard, Hieronymus, Remigius, and Ian Early Life Charles Martel (August 23, 686–October 22, 741) was the son of Pippin the Middle and his second wife, Alpaida. Pippin was the mayor of the palace to the King of the Franks and essentially ruled Francia (France and Germany today) in his place. Shortly before Pippins death in 714, his first wife, Plectrude, convinced him to disinherit his other children in favor of his 8-year-old grandson Theudoald. This move angered the Frankish nobility and, following Pippins death, Plectrude tried to prevent Charles from becoming a rallying point for their discontent and imprisoned the 28-year-old in Cologne. Rise to Power and Reign By the end of 715, Charles had escaped from captivity and found support among the Austrasians who comprised one of the Frankish kingdoms. Over the next three years, Charles conducted a civil war against King Chilperic and the Mayor of the Palace of Neustria, Ragenfrid. Charles suffered a setback at Cologne (716) before winning key victories at Ambleve (716) and Vincy (717).   After taking time to secure his borders, Charles won a decisive victory at Soissons over Chilperic and the Duke of Aquitaine, Odo the Great, in 718. Triumphant, Charles was able to gain recognition for his titles as mayor of the palace and duke and prince of the Franks. Over the next five years, he consolidated power as well as conquered Bavaria and Alemmania before defeating the Saxons. With the Frankish lands secured, Charles next began to prepare for an anticipated attack from the Muslim Umayyads to the south. Family Charles married Rotrude of Treves with whom he had five children before her death in 724. These were Hiltrud, Carloman, Landrade, Auda, and Pippin the Younger. Following Rotrudes death, Charles married Swanhild, with whom he had a son Grifo. In addition to his two wives, Charles had an ongoing affair with his mistress Ruodhaid. Their relationship produced four children, Bernard, Hieronymus, Remigius, and Ian. Facing the Umayyads In 721, the Muslim Umayyads first came north and were defeated by Odo at the Battle of Toulouse. Having assessed the situation in Iberia and the Umayyad attack on Aquitaine, Charles came to believe that a professional army, rather than raw conscripts, was needed to defend the realm from invasion. To raise the money necessary to build and train an army that could withstand the Muslim horsemen, Charles began seizing Church lands, earning the ire of the religious community. In 732, the Umayyads moved north again, led by Emir Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi. Commanding approximately 80,000 men, he plundered Aquitaine. As Abdul Rahman sacked Aquitaine, Odo fled north to seek aid from Charles. This was granted in exchange for Odo recognizing Charles as his overlord. Mobilizing his army, Charles moved to intercept the Umayyads. Battle of Tours In order to avoid detection and allow Charles to select the battlefield, the approximately 30,000 Frankish troops moved over secondary roads toward the town of Tours. For the battle, Charles selected a high, wooded plain which would force the Umayyad cavalry to charge uphill. Forming a large square, his men surprised Abdul Rahman, forcing the Umayyad emir to pause for a week to consider his options. On the seventh day, after gathering all of his forces, Abdul Rahman attacked with his Berber and Arab cavalry. In one of the few instances where medieval infantry stood up to cavalry, Charles troops defeated repeated Umayyad attacks. As the battle raged, the Umayyads finally broke through the Frankish lines and attempted to kill Charles. He was promptly surrounded by his personal guard, who repulsed the attack. As this was occurring, scouts that Charles had sent out earlier were infiltrating the Umayyad camp and freeing prisoners. Victory Believing that the plunder of the campaign was being stolen, a large part of the Umayyad army broke off the battle and raced to protect their camp. While attempting to stop the apparent retreat, Abdul Rahman was surrounded and killed by Frankish troops. Briefly pursued by the Franks, the Umayyad withdrawal turned into a full retreat. Charles reformed his troops expecting another attack, but to his surprise, it never came as the Umayyads continued their retreat all the way to Iberia. Charles victory at the Battle of Tours was later credited for saving Western Europe from the Muslim invasions and was a turning point in European history. Expanding the Empire After spending the next three years securing his eastern borders in Bavaria and Alemannia, Charles moved south to fend off an Umayyad naval invasion in Provence. In 736, he led his forces in reclaiming Montfrin, Avignon, Arles, and Aix-en-Provence.  These campaigns marked the first time he integrated heavy cavalry with stirrups into his formations.   Though he won a string of victories, Charles elected not to attack Narbonne due to the strength of its defenses and the casualties that would be incurred during any assault.  As the campaigning concluded, King  Theuderic IV died. Though he had the power to appoint a new King of the Franks, Charles did not do so and left the throne vacant rather than claim it for himself. From 737 until his death in 741, Charles focused on the administration of his realm and expanding his influence. This included subduing Burgundy in 739. These years also saw Charles lay the groundwork for his heirs succession following his death. Death Charles Martel died on October 22, 741. His lands were divided between his sons Carloman and Pippin III. The latter would father the next great Carolingian leader, Charlemagne. Charles remains were interred at the Basilica of St. Denis near Paris. Legacy Charles Martel reunited and ruled the entire Frankish realm. His victory at Tours is credited with turning back the Muslim invasion of Europe, a major turning point in European history. Martel was the grandfather of Charlemagne, who became the first Roman Emperor since the fall of the Roman Empire. Sources Fouracre,  Paul. The Age of Charles Martel. Routledge, 2000.Johnson, Diana M. Pepins Bastard: The Story of Charles Martel. Superior Book Publishing Co., 1999Mckitterick, Rosamond. Charlemagne: The Formation of a European Identity. Cambridge University Press, 2008.

How to Tell Time in English for Beginners

How to Tell Time in English for Beginners Use this role play to practice telling the time. Make sure you know how to use the twelve hour clock to speak about times in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening. Use the preposition at to speak about specific times. Key Vocabulary Related to Telling Time Excuse me, could you tell me the time, please?What time is it?Its half past...Its quarter past...Its ten to...Its quarter to...Its twenty toIts twenty pastIts ten forty five.1:00 -   One o’clock2:00  -   Two  o’clock3:00  -   Three  o’clock4:00  -   Four o’clock5:00  -   Five o’clock6:00  -   Six  o’clock7:00  -   Seven  o’clock8:00  -   Eight  o’clock9:00  -   Nine  o’clock10:00  -   Ten  o’clock11:00  -   Eleven  o’clock12:00  -   Twelve  o’clock Talking About the Time of Day There are many ways to talk about the time of day in English without using an exact time. Here are some of those vocabulary words. Dawn: Early morning before or just as the sun rises.Sunrise: When the sun rises.Sunset: When the sun sets.Noon: Exactly 12 P.M.Midnight: Exactly 12 A.M.Midday: The stretch of time in the middle of the day, from approximately 11am to 1pm.Afternoon: Literally, the hours afternoon, but more specifically from 1 to 4 P.M.Early: The morning hours, approximately before 9 A.M.Day/daytimeTwilight: The time just before the stars come out.Dusk: Early evening, just before or as the sun is setting.Early evening: From about 4:30 to 6 P.M.Evening: The period of time after sunset but before night.Late: The evening hours, approximately after 11 P.M.Night/nighttimeoclockA.M.Used with a 12 hour clock for talking about times before  noon and after midnight.P.M.Used with a 12-hour clock for talking about times before midnight and after noon. Practice Dialogue Jane: Could you tell me the time, please?Steve: Certainly. Its 3 P.M.Jane: That late? I thought it was early afternoon still.Steve: Time flies when you are busy. Did you enjoy your morning?Jane: I did, but now I have to rush in order to get home before dusk.Steve: Have a good evening. See you back here tomorrow bright and early!Jane: Yes! Ill arrive by dawn or shortly thereafter.

Project, operations and supply chain management Essay - 1

Project, operations and supply chain management - Essay Example In this respect, projects adopting the traditional approach are designed in a way that the exact results expected from the project are defined with precision. As such, definite results are agreed upon between the project team and the client. On the other hand, projects adopting the agile approach start with the expectation that there may be changes in the features and requirements of the project over time. As opposed to the traditional approach, the only agreement that is set between the project team and the client is the time to the taken as well as the resources in order to deliver the most optimal results (Carroll, 2012, p. 8). Differences between the two approaches can also be noted in the implementation phase. That is, the traditional approach follows a route that is predictable and linear; the tools and techniques that are used in sequencing, organizing and assigning various tasks in the project are very inflexible. On the contrary, the agile methodology is more adaptive and follows a less linear route. Emphasis in this project management approach is put in on the people, collaboration, effective communication and customer solutions, while seeking to bring about dynamism in the project aimed at adapting to the external environment (Singh, 2012, p. 205). The leadership and management styles that are applied in projects while using the two approaches also differ greatly. In this respect, the traditional approach to project management adopts a bureaucratic, top-down approach to leadership. The leaders in such projects rely on control and command in passing instructions to their subordinates, while having clearly set roles for each of the project members. On the other hand, the agile methodology adopts a transformational leadership style whereby leaders seek to inspire their subordinates in carrying out their respective tasks. The assigning of duties among

Al Nakheel Blue Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Al Nakheel Blue Community - Essay Example The Blue Community intends to create awareness for the need to develop the coastal waterfront involving in the process along with Nakheel's own experience and expertise, NGOs, think tanks and stakeholders encouraging them to be active instruments of their Blue Community initiatives. The question may arise as to why Nakheel is aiming to promote the Blue Community. According to Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman of the company, "Almost two thirds of the world's population lives in coastal communities and a large amount of development is taking place in these locations" (UAE Press Release, January 20, 2008). The company intends to invest significantly to bring about changes in these environments through research and development with the vision of becoming leaders in sustainable development of coastal communities through its Blue Community initiatives. Formed in 2001, Nakheel can be considered pioneer and frontrunner in the domain of construction of innovative and iconic buildings and landmarks. As regards waterfront development, with the launch of the Blue Community, they have become setters of standards and rules in this field for the others to emulate. The Blue Community launch event held on a dome specially constructed for the purpose on the beachfront by the Palm Jumeirah was attended by prominent figures from government, industry and media. It went with the first ever Tourism Development Project & Investment Market (TDIM) event of Dubai held between January 20-22, 2008. The stand that Nakheel put up for the event, the largest in the company's history, featured two massive domes for displaying all the waterfront development projects undertaken by the company. This included a model of Dubai Promenade allowing the visitors a look at this waterfront community. Dubai Promenade created "a virtual peninsula along the emirate's shor eline, anchored by a spectacular wheel-shaped five-star hotel" (www.nakheel.com). At the TDIM exhibition, a 13-meter long scale model was unveiled by Nakheel demonstrating the company's vision of Dubai's growth through development of waterfront with projects under Blue Community. Before we venture further into the "Blue Project", let us look at the characteristics of the construction industry in the UAE. With the transformation from a buyers' market to a sellers' market, over the last decade there has been a boom in the UAE construction industry. This construction boom is most visible at Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Going by per capita expenditure on construction, UAE is the world leader with presence of close to 6000 construction companies. The total value of the UAE construction industry for 2008 has been assessed at USD15.26 bi as per a Business Monitor International Report which is projected to go up to USD22.44bi by 2012. 3 There are various reasons behind this tremendous growth. Not much entry barrier is there to hinder the UAE construction industry. Rather there exist major driving forces in Dubai like a stable political climate, tax-free status and on the whole a liberal business environment to facilitate expansion of the industry. Further impetus to construction indu

Phil. 101 Metaphysics Essay Example for Free

Phil. 101 Metaphysics Essay Philosophy stemmed from the early Greek religions and myths, in search for answers to their questions about life. From early B. C. till today people still have questions about life and after-life, what is real and what is reality. Philosophy has dozens of subdivisions within it, one being metaphysics. Metaphysics is the study of the nature of reality, and within metaphysics there are three more divisions materialism, idealism, and hylemorphism. Each philosopher fits into one category more then others. I have chosen to write about Aristotle, Plato, and Histories because I feel they each fit into a category with little confusion as to where they belong in metaphysics. Materialism falls all the way on the left of the spectrum. Materialism is defined as all reality is only and ever matter. This is the mindset of nothing happens after death, or if the tree falls and no one hears it there is no sound. I interpreted this as a pessimistic, dull outlook because it left little room for imagination. As I read Aristotle’s piece Metaphysics’ it really opened my eyes to materialism. On page one he says, â€Å" A sign of this is out liking for the senses; for even apart from their usefulness we like them for themselves—especially the sense of sight, since we choose seeing above practically all the others, not only as an aid to action, but also when we have no intention of acting. † If one were to break this down Aristotle says we as humans use our senses not only for the innate purpose, the most used sense is sight because it helps when doing something or nothing at all. This quote showed materialism because I related it the tree falling, because no one used his or her senses to hear the tree fall therefore nothing happened when it fell. Aristotle explains that if one does not know if something is real by using his or her senses then it is nothing at all. Idealism lies on the right of the spectrum as far from materialism as possible. Idealism is defined, as all reality is only and ever the result of my subjective interpretation. As I browsed through Plato’s work I noticed he made many references to god. These references canceled out materialism for Plato because materialists do not believe in god(s), because there has never been a physical god. As I looked more in depth in Plato’s work, the work showed doing good by god and soul for the after life. In Plato’s Euthyphro, Euthyphro stresses piety, a religious devotion, if fact the entire dialogue is based on the pious thing to do. Euthyphro says, â€Å" I would certainly say that the pious is what all the gods love, and the opposite, what all the gods hates, is the impious. † Because the pious thing is what the gods’ love and that is a belief, which shows idealism because it is a belief and not matter. At the end of Plato’s dialogue Apology, Socrates is sentences to death, he makes a reference to when he dies he will meet with all the other men who have died for his the same reason and they share their experiences, but no one truly knows what happens after death except the gods. Idealism is based upon a subjective world, meaning it is what one believes it to be. Plato’s entire story The Allegory of the Cave represents idealism completely. This is a story Socrates based on his view of the education system. It began with prisoners in a cave who only saw shadows of puppets, heard random noises, and the only source of light was a fire. They know nothing other then what they are shown but they were to interpret the puppets in their own way, eventually a prisoner will be freed to leave and will come back because that was all they knew. Although the story is flawed and sad it represented the idealism because the prisoners had the freedom to imagine what the wished even with no knowledge of what it was. In between materialism and idealism, hylemorphism blossoms. Hylemorphism is defined, as all reality is a distinct, non-separable combination of matter and form. This section of metaphysic allows space for matter to change form and a little more room for imagination in general. In A Pre-Socratics Reader I believe Diogenes Laertius and Herodotus to be the most hylemorphism philosophers. As materialism and idealism believe in two completely different experiences after death, I think hylemorphism think that people reincarnate because they believe that forms will change. Laertius tells a story of a man beating a puppy and as he heard the puppy’s cry he asked the man to stop because it was the cries of the soul of a friend of his. Herodotus says, â€Å" †¦ the human soul is immortal, and each time the body perishes it enters into another animal as it is born. † The pre-socratics has dozens of philosophers that have the same thoughts or views as these two men, which represent hylemorphism just as well. As I broken down metaphysics into the three general categories, it can be broken down more and have more philosophers in each category. Philosophy is not set in stone; it is all set upon interpretation. Some may feel completely different about Aristotle’s positions on the spectrum or even Laertius’, philosophers will never true have a set category in metaphysic.

Memory - Our Version of History :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Memory - Our Version of History How the memory works in the human mind continues to fascinate those who look. It has the ability to take in everything that our senses can give to it, store all of that information, and then recall both recent and past recollections upon our request. Patricia Hampl discovers in her own personal recollection "an unsettling disbelief about the reliability of memory, a hunch that memory is not, after all, just memory" (131). Psychiatrists, psychologists, and writers continue to study the mystery in the relationship between the mind and the memory: the objective past, the invention of our own version of history, and the symbolism in personal memories with respect to self-reflection. Hampl reflects to discover she invents in her memoir of the piano lesson. Returning thirty years later to a special place in his memory, Stephen Jay Gould "had conflated the most prominent symbol of my old neighborhood, the tennis stadium, with an important personal place" (116). I can see how this happens when a person sometimes adds a little color or excitement in retelling a story to keep the attention of the audience in everyday life. But these accomplished authors are writing memoirs, not fiction, and their memories are still partial untruths. Could my written memories contain untruths as their written memories do? The only way I may find the answer is to write about the first memory I remember as a child. It is a long time ago and I remember that I am three years old. Daddy is holding me near his shoulder and I have my arms around his neck. We are in Sacred Heart Church by ourselves. Daddy just keeps looking straight ahead. His glasses are resting on his nose that protrudes so far from his face. I think about his nose because we always play "noseys" before I go to bed at night. His tinted glasses are hiding his eyes that always smile at me. I want to see his smiling eyes but right now I can see the top of his head better. Daddy does not have much hair on the top of his head. It reminds me of when he says, "The beard on my face makes up for the lack of hair on my head." I laugh to myself and remember telling him to move his beard to the top of his head but to leave his mustache where it is.

Negotiation Jujitsu

What if They Won’t Play (Use Negotiation Jujitsu) Getting to YesNegotiating Agreement Without Giving In By Roger Fisher and William Ury Vikas Singh Ed Hill What if They Won’t Play †¢ Theymaystatetheirpositioninunequivocal terms †¢ Concernedonlywithmaximizingtheirowngains †¢ Theymayattackyouinplaceofattackingthe problems Three Basic Strategies †¢ What you can do †¢ What they can do – Negotiation Jujitsu †¢ What a third party can do – One Text Mediation Procedure Negotiation Jujitsu Three Basic Maneuvers Asserting their position forcefully †¢ Attacking your ideas †¢ Attacking you Don’t attack their position, look behind it †¢ Neither reject nor accept the position †¢ Treat it as one possible option †¢ Look for interest and principles behind it †¢ Think of ways to improve it Don’t defend your ideas, invite criticism and advice †¢ Invite criticism, instead of resisting it †¢ As k them what is wrong with a particular idea or an option †¢ Use their criticism and advice to find out their underlying interests and principles †¢ Rework your ideas in light of what you learnRecast an attack on you as an attack on the problem †¢ Resist the temptation to defend yourself or attack them †¢ Listen to them †¢ Understand what they are saying †¢ Recast their attack on you as an attack on the problem Ask questions and pause †¢ Use questions instead of statements †¢ Silence One-text procedure Call in a third party to: †¢ Separate the people from the problem †¢ Direct the discussion to interests and options †¢ Suggest impartial basis for resolving differences †¢ Separate invention from decision making How does a third party do this Asksabouttheinterestsratherthanpositions †¢ Learnallabouttheirneedsandinterests †¢ Suggest a provisional solution/recommendation †¢ Askthemtocritiqueitorsuggestimprovements †¢ Improvisetherecommendationinlightofinputs †¢ Presentthefinalsolution Getting them to play: The case of Jones Realty and Frank Turnbull †¢$600 rent per month †¢Apartment under rent control†¢Max rent at $466 per month †¢Mrs. Jones reimburses after several long principled negotiation sessions Stock Phrases †¢ â€Å"Please correct me if I’m wrong. † †¢ â€Å"We appreciate what you’ve done for us. †¢ â€Å"Our concern is fairness† †¢ â€Å"We would like to settle this on the basis of Independent standards, not of who can do what to whom† †¢ â€Å"Trust is a separate issue† Stock Phrases (cont. ) †¢ â€Å"CouldIaskyouafewquestionstoseewhether my facts are right? † †¢ â€Å"What’stheprinciplebehindyouraction? † †¢ â€Å"LetmeseeifIunderstandwhatyou’resaying† †¢ â€Å"Letmegetbacktoyou† †¢ â€Å"Let me show you where I have trouble following some of your reasoning Stock Phrases (cont. ) †¢ â€Å"One fair solution might be. † †¢ â€Å"If we agree.. If we disagree. † â€Å"We’d be happy to see if we can leave when it’s most convenient for you† †¢ â€Å"It’s been a pleasure dealing with you† â€Å"Please correct me If I’m wrong† †¢ Establish dialogue based on reason †¢ Invitation to participate†¢ Good probability you won’t â€Å"lose face† †¢ Opening to correction and persuasion sets the tone â€Å"We appreciate what you’ve done for us† †¢ Through support, separate people from problem †¢ Defuses self-image threat †¢ Other side now has something to lose: – Praise and support â€Å"Our concern is fairness† †¢ Take basic stand on principle †¢ Remain open Both ends and means to accomplish ends are principled â€Å"We would like to settle this on the basis of independent standards, no of who can do what to whom† †¢ Don’t lose temper- and thus, control †¢ Bring negotiation back to merits †¢ Good example of negotiation jujitsu †¢ Reinforces principled negotiation â€Å"Trust is a separate Issue† †¢ Slip out of corner†¢ Remain firm on the principle â€Å"Could I ask you a few questions to see whether my facts are right? † †¢ Statements of fact can be threatening, questions are better †¢ Phrasing info as questions allows open participation Lays foundation for agreed upon facts â€Å"What’s the principle behind your action? † †¢ A principled negotiator neither accepts nor rejects other side’s opinion †¢ Leads other side to search for reasons †¢ Negotiation continues on principle â€Å"Let me see If I understand what you’re saying† †¢ Principled negotiation requires good communication †¢ Other side more l ikely to listen and be more receptive â€Å"Let me get back to you† †¢ Good negotiator rarely makes important decisions on the spot †¢ Timeanddistancehelptoseparatepeoplefrom problem Goodnegotiatorscomestotablewithcredible reason for leaving †¢ Allowsdiscussionwithconstituents(Paul)†¢ Freshcommitmenttoprinciplednegotiation â€Å"Let me show you where I have trouble following some of your reasoning† †¢ Present reasons before offering proposal †¢ Proposal first will often lead to other side not listening to reasons – Considering counterproposals â€Å"One fair solution might be. † †¢ Proposal not as yours, but as fair option †¢ Proposal not as only solution, but one fair solution â€Å"If we agree.. If we disagree. † †¢ Try to make it easy for other side †¢ Trickiest part is to communicate the alternative Use of third party – Creates distance, thus, separation of people from problems†¢ Don ’t always reveal BATNA â€Å"We’d be happy to see if we can leave when it’s most convenient for you† †¢ Incorporate other side’s interests †¢ Allows for other side to â€Å"save face† †¢ Other side feels good about agreement â€Å"It’s been a pleasure dealing with you† †¢ End on a good note †¢ Reestablishes principle of separation of people from problem †¢ Relationship maintained Summary †¢ You can get the other side to play principled negotiation, even if they don’t want to at first †¢ Principled negotiation, negotiation jujitsu, or a third party all work