Odo, or Eudes, duke of Aquitaine, declares himself independent of the Frankish kingdoms in 715, using the occasion to increase his holdings and make an alliance with the Neustrians.

Charles Martel’s Victory at Vincy and the Pursuit of Chilperic II

In 717, Charles Martel launches a decisive campaign into Neustria, determined to assert his dominance over the Frankish realm. His forces meet the combined army of King Chilperic II and Mayor of the Palace Ragenfrid at Vincy, near Cambrai, where Charles secures a resounding victory.

With the Neustrian forces shattered, ...

...Chilperic and Ragenfrid flee toward Paris, pursued by Charles. However, rather than pressing the siege, Charles redirects his efforts toward consolidating power in Austrasia. Recognizing the need to eliminate any remaining threats to his rule, he turns back to confront Plectrude, who still holds Cologne, the seat of power in Austrasia.

This victory at Vincy establishes Charles as the undisputed military leader of Francia. His campaign against Plectrudeand his consolidation of Austrasian support will mark the next step in his rise to absolute power, paving the way for his later dominance over the entire Frankish kingdom.

Charles takes Cologne and disperses Plectrude’s adherents.

He allows both Plectrude and Theudoald to live, and treats them with kindness—unusual for these Dark Ages, when mercy to a former jailer, or a potential rival, is rare.

On this success, he proclaims one Clotaire IV king of Austrasia in opposition to Chilperic II.

The Moors attempt to push north of the Pyrenees, raiding Aquitaine and southern France in 718.

Odo appears in this year as the ally of Chilperic II of Neustria and the Mayor of the Palace Ragenfrid, who may have offered recognition of his kingship over Aquitaine.

The Defeat of the Neustrian-Aquitanian Alliance at Soissons (718)

Following their defeat at Vincy (717) and Charles Martel’s growing dominance over the Frankish realm, Chilperic IIand Ragenfrid seek to challenge his ascendancy by forging an alliance with Odo the Great (also known as Eudes), the Duke of Aquitaine. Odo had taken advantage of the Frankish civil war (715) to establish Aquitaine’s independence, resisting both Neustrian and Austrasian influence.

In 718, the allied forces of Neustria and Aquitaine march on Soissons, hoping to reverse their fortunes. However, Charles, anticipating the move, positions his forces strategically. By now, his army includes a battle-hardened core of veterans, many of whom will serve him loyally throughout their lives. This well-trained and disciplined force once again proves superior on the battlefield.

Charles Martel’s Decisive Victory

The confrontation near Soissons ends in a decisive victory for Charles Martel. The Neustrian-Aquitanian alliance is shattered, forcing Chilperic and Ragenfrid into retreat. This marks another turning point in the civil war, further isolating Neustria and demonstrating that no rival—whether Merovingian loyalist or regional duke—can match Charles’s growing military and political might.

With this victory, Charles Martel firmly establishes himself as the undisputed master of Francia, paving the way for his complete consolidation of power in the years to come.

...Chilperic II and Odo of Aquitaine retreat south of the Loire, seeking refuge beyond Charles Martel’s immediate reach.

However, recognizing the inevitability of Charles’s dominance, Odo soon makes peace, surrendering Chilperic II to Charles, effectively ending the war. Ragenfrid, now without allies, follows suit and submits as well.

With the conflict resolved, Charles emerges as the undisputed Dux Francorum (Duke of the Franks), exercising supreme authority over the Frankish realm. Unlike many rulers before him, Charles chooses mercy over vengeance, opting not to execute his former enemies.

A Policy of Clemency and Consolidation

• Theudoald, his late stepmother Plectrude’s grandson and former rival, is not only spared but welcomed into Charles’s army and treated with kindness.
• Chilperic II, though deposed, is allowed to live, marking the continuation of the Merovingian monarchy in name only.
• Ragenfrid, despite his rebellion, is also spared, though his political career effectively ends.

With no serious rivals left, Charles Martel fully consolidates his power. This decisive moment ushers in a new era, setting the stage for his later campaigns to expand and secure the Frankish kingdom, laying the groundwork for the eventual rise of the Carolingian dynasty.

Moorish attacks in 718 on Aquitaine, heretofore independent of Frankish rule, had prompted Odo, recognizing in Frankish king Charles an able protector, to submit to the suzerainty of Austrasia in 719.

In exchange for recognizing his dukeship, he surrenders the king and his treasures to Charles, who recognizes Chilperic’s kingship over all the Franks in return for legitimate royal affirmation of his mayoralty, likewise over all the kingdoms).

The Moors, continuing their drive to the northeast under Al-Samh ibn Malik, governor-general of al-Andalus, invade Septimania, take the region of present Roussillon on the southwestern Mediterranean coast of Gaul, and …