Charles’ army probably numbered no more than a few thousand men, but it was an efficient, well-organized, and well-equipped force. Indeed, while today we think of the "Dark Ages" as having been dominated by savage Germanic barbarians, the people of this period were more connected to the knowledge and institutions of the Romans than were their descendants in what we call the Middle Ages.

One example of this connection to antiquity was the Franks’ careful study and implementation of the lessons contained in various late Roman military manuals. Thus, Charles’ foot soldiers fought in close order, shoulder to shoulder, with short, thrusting, swords and large round shields. Helmets and armor (typically chainmail, though scale was also employed) were also quite common, as were long spears, which were used as missiles at close range. This battle line would have been supported by archers armed with short bows. It was almost certainly also supported by cavalry, armed with spears and long, slashing, swords, and equipped with large round shields and probably armor.

All-in-all, Charles’ army would have looked much more like the late Roman armies Charles’ ancestors fought, than the Germanic tribal horde, which became the Franks. Indeed, the men who composed this army were likely at least as much Gallo-Roman as they were Frankish in terms of ethnicity, as intermarriage and the decision of many Gallo-Roman landowners to declare themselves "Franks" and thus achieve better legal status would have blurred ethnic lines. Similarly, while we know that at least one contingent of Burgundians fought with Charles at Tours, these men were probably a similar mix of Gallo-Roman and Burgundian ethnic heritage.

The men who fought with Charles would have come from a variety of backgrounds. At the core of Charles’ army would have been a cadre of professional soldiers, both mounted and on foot. All of these men would have been equipped with the best arms and armor available, and would have been well-trained in the thrust and parry of Roman-style of close order warfare.

Some would have been young men of high status, in their late teens or early twenties, who attended Charles and the other important officeholders in the Regnum Francorum. These young men would have served for a term and in return receive a solid education in the basics of civil administration and warfare. Ultimately, they would have attained permanent positions in Charles’ government or would have received grants of land and served as leaders in their local communities.

Many of Charles’ professional soldiers, however, would have been men of relatively low social status, including the semi-free or even unfree. These men were career soldiers armed, equipped, and maintained by Charles, his leading magnates, and certain religious institutions with large estates. These men would have ranged in age from their early twenties (or perhaps even younger) to their late thirties or early forties. Indeed, while we today think of the average foot soldier as being a very young man, there is considerable evidence that Charles’ rank and file contained a good proportion of middle-aged men. Hardened by years of service and participation in Charles’ many campaigns and battles, such men would have formed a very solid core.

In addition to professional soldiers, Charles’ army would also have contained many men who fought because of obligations associated with land ownership. Obviously, their training, equipment, and experience was not to the same standard as that of Charles’ regulars, but evidence suggests that they were reasonably well armed and equipped. Also, many would have had at least some amount of military experience and as with Charles’ regulars, these men probably also varied greatly in age.

Some would have been actual landowners, raised through a reasonably sophisticated system of local levies that could be called upon to provide manpower for both offensive and defensive military expeditions. Others were likely the servants or slaves of such men, brought along to satisfy the property owner’s quota, which in some cases could be significant.

While these men were not professional soldiers (most would have been farmers by trade), warfare was endemic in the 8th century Frankish world and levies of landholders were quite common. As such, it seems likely that most had been summoned at least once for a military campaign. Moreover some, such as wealthier landowners who had started their careers in service to Charles (or his father) or another great magnate, may have had considerable military training and experience.

The rest of these men were what we would call mercenaries; i.e., men who were hired by landowners to discharge the property owner’s obligations for any number of reasons, ranging from age or incapacity, to the need to fill out one’s quota of troops, to cowardice or even gender. While the word mercenary today has many negative connotations, the bulk of these men were likely solid professional soldiers of at least moderate social status, as it took a considerable amount of personal wealth to amass the armor and weapons necessary to go to battle (to say nothing of the cost of a horse for those who rode to battle).

Charles’ army would also have gone to battle with a number of Frankish priests. The Franks had an excellent understanding of the psychology of warfare and these priests would have been there to hear confessions before and after battle. That way soldiers could fight knowing that, if they died, their souls were saved and if they survived, they could return home with a clear conscience.

These priests would also have said Mass, offered Holy Communion, and given rousing sermons – all to inspire faith and confidence in the army. With our own experience of Christian/Moslem tensions and looking back through the prisim of the Crusades, it is easy to suppose that these priests would have denounced the invaders as heretics and agents of Satan, as they almost certainly did. But, this process of demonization was not restricted to inter-faith warfare. Frankish priests were perfectly comfortable giving the same sort of rousing sermons regardless of whether the enemy was a Moslem, a pagan (such as the Saxons), a fellow Christian, or even a fellow Frank.

The morale and determination of Charles’ army was almost certainly also strengthened by the fact that behind them stood the shrine of St. Martin of Tours, the holiest place in all of the Regnum Francorum. Every man in the army probably understood that defeat would have meant the destruction of that holy place, just as had occurred at Poitiers, when the invading army sacked the shrine of St. Hillary.

Moreover, for men drawn from the immediate region, this battle would have been an intensely personal affair. Defeat would not only likely have cost them their own lives, but would also have placed their families in danger of being killed or enslaved and their families’ lands plundered.

At the head of this army stood Charles, Mayor of the Palace and his most trusted advisors and subordinates (possibly including one or both of Charles’ two older sons, Karloman and Pippen the Short, who were teenagers, as well as Charles’ half-brother on his mother’s side, Childebrand). All of these men would have been literate, well read, and trained in the art of war. All (except for Karloman and Pippen the Short, if they were present) would have been experienced soldiers and campaigners. Sharing the same motivations as their soldiers, these men would also have fought with the added knowledge that defeat – assuming they survived – could result in loss of position and/or loss of life due to rebellion or assassination.

When Charles took the field at Tours, he had already amassed an impressive record as a field commander which would have given his army confidence. Their morale would likely also have been strengthened by the fact that Charles was reputed to have been a general who showed great concern for the lives of his men. While some of this was no doubt the propaganda of Frankish chroniclers (who were early masters of the art), there is considerable evidence that Charles tried to avoid unnecessary battles and to use maneuver and diplomacy and not just hack and slaughter to achieve his strategic goals.

Thus, the Frankish army that fought at Tours would have been a capable fighting force. Reasonably well equipped and well trained, its ranks would have included a large number of professional, battle-tested, soldiers and officers. Led by a capable general such as Charles, and supported by other high-ranking officers with significant military experience, this army was quite unlike anything that Abd ar-Rahman and his troops had ever seen.