ATTILA THE HUN

The Huns were a nomadic people who came from the central Asian steppes between the end of the pre - Christian era and the fourth century. 

These nomads moved slowly across the south Russian steppes toward Europe. As they neared the Roman Empire, the Germanic tribes in there path spread terrible tales about the death and destruction caused by the horse warriors.

The Huns were incredibly mobile thanks to there sturdy horses, more savage in there pillaging than other known tribesmen and showed no respect to churches and monasteries unlike there Christianized German counterparts. 

But like other tribes the Huns were amenable to bribery and could be bought off in place of sacking and destroying a town or city. Hunnic warriors also enlisted in the Roman army as mercenaries and fought against Romes traditional enemies.

On there arrival in Europe, in the last quarter of the fourth century, the Huns destroyed the Visigoth and Ostrogothic realms of southern Russian and the Balkans. They then crossed the Roman Danube frontier and moved onto the Hungarian plains and founded a nomadic Kingdom.

In 434 AD, King Rua died and was succeeded by two brothers Bleda and Attila. They both pursued the traditional policy of demanding gold and silver from the Romans in exchange for not attacking the empire.

In 441 AD, eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II refused to pay the annual tribute to the Huns. Attila and Bleda quickly responded, ravaging the provinces along the Danube River, they then marched south and defeated the eastern Roman Army at the battle of Gallipoli then sacked and razed the city of Marcianople to the ground. 

Emperor Theodosius II had no choice but to buy off the Hunnic hordes once again, this time paying a yearly sum of one thousand pounds of gold and two thousand pounds of silver. In 445 AD, Attila murdered his brother and co - ruler Bleda and decided on a policy of national expansion. 

In 447 AD, Emperor Theodosius II once again refused tribuatory payment and broke his treaty obligations with the Huns. Attila recalled his Hunnic soldiery from supporting the Western Romans in Gaul and led his army south into the Balkans.

Attila completely destroyed the eastern Roman Army at the battle of Utus, then ranged south into undefended Greece and westward to the very gates of Constantinople. Theodosius was now forced to sue for peace and signed a new treaty which now doubled the annual payment to two thousand pounds of gold and three thousand pounds of silver

In 451 AD, after raising yet another army, Theodosius once again withheld payment and broke his treaty with the Huns. Attila chose to ignore the provocative actions of the Eastern Emperor for events in the western half of the empire had attracted his attention.

Western Roman Emperor Valentinian III had a sister Honororia who had objected to her brothers choice for her husband. She wrote to the Hunnic King and enclosed a ring with her letter. Assuming she was proposing to him Attila accepted and then demanded the province of Gaul would make a suitable dowry. 

Valentinian's stern refusal prompted Attila to launch a Hunnic invasion of the western empire. The Huns ravaged and destroyed the Gallic countryside burning every town and city to the ground, Attila had also given specific orders that no living thing be spared.

The supreme commander of the western Roman armies General Flavius Aetius worked frantically to build a coalition of tribes to stand with Rome against the Huns. The barbarians had no intrest in allying themselves with there long time enemy, but they did have a common hatred for the Huns and at the time the Romans seemed to be the lesser of the two evils.

In the end the Visigoths and Allans would stand with the Romans at Chalons and await Attila's horde. The battle began at dawn on June 20th 451 AD and lasted all day, the slaughter on both sides was considerable, as nightfall approached the fighting died down as both sides were completely exhausted.

During the evening Attila withdrew his forces to the safety of his Kingdom along the Danube and at dawn the next day the Roman - Gothic army were in possession of the battlefield. However they were in no fighting shape to pursue Attila and disbanded shortly afterward. 

Although suffering his first defeat, Attila was still very powerful and he quickly restored his army back to full strength. In 452 AD, Attila once again turned his attention towards the Western Roman Empire crossing the alps and invading Italy.

The cities of northern Italy and the Po valley were ravaged and burnt to the ground. General Aetius could not persuade the Alans and Visigoths to come to the defense of Italy as they had done a year earlier in Gaul.

It appeared that nothing could stop Attila from destroying the entire country. The Romans had no Legions to put against the Huns. The citizens of Rome awaited the arrival of the Hunnic King in absolute terror, this was truly the empires darkest hour. 

However just outside Rome the Huns shocked and surprised the besieged citizens by withdrawing back to there kingdom during the night, the Emperor and Senate were unaware that Attila lacked siege equiptment, was low on supplies and that a devastating plague was sweeping through his army.

In 453 AD, the night before Attila was preparing to invade Italy once again, the great King took a new bride. The wedding day was spent in heavy drinking which lasted long into the night. Attila eventually retired to bed in a drunken stupor.

The next morning it was discovered that during the night Attila had suffered a sever hemorage in his nose and had choked to death on his own blood. Within months of his death, all the Germanic subjects within the Hunnic Empire rebelled against there overlords and Attila's empire quickly disintegrated without his iron rule.