Battle of Vincy
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Vincy was fought at Vincy, near Cambrai
, in the modern département of Nord. It was a contest between Charles Martel
and the Austrasia
ns on one side and the king of the Franks, Chilperic II
, and his mayor of the palace
, Ragenfrid
, on the other.
Chilperic and Ragenfrid returned defeated to Neustria
after the Battle of Ambl%C3%A8ve.
Instead of following them at once, Charles again used tactics he would use all his remaining life, in a career of absolute success. He took time to rally more men and prepare, before descending in full force. He chose where to provoke them to battle, and, at a place and time of his choosing, in Spring 717, Charles eventually followed them and dealt them a serious blow at Vincy on 21 March. He chased the fleeing king and mayor to Paris
.
On this success, he proclaimed one Clotaire IV
king of Austrasia in opposition to Chilperic and deposed the bishop of Rheims, Rigobert, replacing him with one Milo
. The defeated Chilperic II, and his mayor of the palace, Ragenfrid, were essentially broken after this battle.
Cambrai
Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included...
, in the modern département of Nord. It was a contest between Charles Martel
Charles Martel
Charles Martel , also known as Charles the Hammer, was a Frankish military and political leader, who served as Mayor of the Palace under the Merovingian kings and ruled de facto during an interregnum at the end of his life, using the title Duke and Prince of the Franks. In 739 he was offered the...
and the Austrasia
Austrasia
Austrasia formed the northeastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of present-day eastern France, western Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Metz served as its capital, although some Austrasian kings ruled from Rheims, Trier, and...
ns on one side and the king of the Franks, Chilperic II
Chilperic II
Chilperic II , born Daniel, the youngest son of Childeric II, was king of Neustria from 715 and sole king of the Franks from 718 until his death. He was the last Merovingian dynast to exercise any authority on his own....
, and his mayor of the palace
Mayor of the Palace
Mayor of the Palace was an early medieval title and office, also called majordomo, from the Latin title maior domus , used most notably in the Frankish kingdoms in the 7th and 8th centuries....
, Ragenfrid
Ragenfrid
Ragenfrid was the mayor of the palace of Neustria and Burgundy from 715, when he filled the vacuum in Neustria caused by the death of Pepin of Heristal, until 718, when Charles Martel finally established himself over the whole Frankish kingdom.His original centre of power was the Véxin...
, on the other.
Chilperic and Ragenfrid returned defeated to Neustria
Neustria
The territory of Neustria or Neustrasia, meaning "new [western] land", originated in 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...
after the Battle of Ambl%C3%A8ve.
Instead of following them at once, Charles again used tactics he would use all his remaining life, in a career of absolute success. He took time to rally more men and prepare, before descending in full force. He chose where to provoke them to battle, and, at a place and time of his choosing, in Spring 717, Charles eventually followed them and dealt them a serious blow at Vincy on 21 March. He chased the fleeing king and mayor to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
On this success, he proclaimed one Clotaire IV
Clotaire IV
Chlothar IV , king of Austrasia , was installed by the mayor of the palace, Charles Martel, as an ally during the civil war that was then raging.In 717, Charles, returning to Neustria with an army to assault King Chilperic II and his mayor Ragenfrid, confirmed his...
king of Austrasia in opposition to Chilperic and deposed the bishop of Rheims, Rigobert, replacing him with one Milo
Milo, Bishop of Reims and Trier
Milo was Archbishop of Reims and Trier since c. 722,as his uncle and his father, Saint Liutwin, had been before him.When Charles Martel drove Rigobert from Reims, he replaced him with a warrior clerk named Milo. While bishop, Milo discharged a mission against the Vascones. He accumulated much of...
. The defeated Chilperic II, and his mayor of the palace, Ragenfrid, were essentially broken after this battle.
Sources
- Oman, CharlesCharles OmanSir Charles William Chadwick Oman was a British military historian of the early 20th century. His reconstructions of medieval battles from the fragmentary and distorted accounts left by chroniclers were pioneering...
. The Dark Ages, 476–918. London: Rivingtons, 1914.