Evidence France Viewed Muslim Spain as a Threat

France established the County of Barcelona (early 9th century) as a **buffer state** (the *Marca Hispanica*) between the Frankish Empire and the Muslim-ruled **Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba** in Iberia.

This military march, ruled by Frankish counts, served explicitly to **halt Muslim expansion northward** and protect Aquitaine and Septimania. Its creation demonstrates France's strategic perception of Al-Andalus as a direct security threat.