Hungarian invasions of Europe

The Hungarian invasions of Europe (in Hungarian, kalandozások, and in German, Ungarneinfälle) took place in the 9th and 10th centuries, during a time of change in the history of Europe known as the Early Middle Ages. At this time, the lands of the former Carolingian Empire faced threats from several directions. The Hungarians, also called Magyars, invaded from the east, the Viking expansion came from the north, and the Arabs approached from the south.

The Hungarians settled the Carpathian Basin, the area that later became the Kingdom of Hungary. They did this in a planned way, with a long period of settlement between 862 and 895. From there, they launched many campaigns, going west into former Francia and south into the Byzantine Empire. The raids to the west were finally stopped when the Magyars were defeated at the Battle of Lechfeld in 955. This defeat led to the revival of the Holy Roman Empire in 962, which created a new political order in Western Europe.

The raids into Byzantine lands continued throughout the 10th century. This lasted until the Magyars were eventually converted to Christianity, a process known as the Christianisation of the Magyars. In 1000, the Christian Kingdom of Hungary was established.

History

See also: Hungarian prehistory

The Hungarians (Magyars) first appear in war records in the 9th century. In 811 they were allies of Krum of Bulgaria against Emperor Nikephoros I, possibly at the Battle of Pliska in the Haemus Mountains (Balkan Mountains). Around 837, according to Georgius Monachus's work, the Bulgarian Empire sought an alliance with them. Constantine Porphyrogenitus wrote in On Administering the Empire that the Khagan and the Bek of the Khazars asked for the fortress of Sarkel to be built, and this record is thought to refer to the Hungarians. In 881, the Hungarians invaded East Francia and fought a battle at Wenia, probably Vienna, in Austria. In 894, they invaded Pannonia in alliance with King Svatopluk I of Moravia.

See also: Principality of Hungary and Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin

Around 896, probably under the leadership of Árpád, the Hungarians crossed the Carpathians and entered the Carpathian Basin, the plains of Hungary. In 899 they defeated Berengar's army in the Battle of Brenta River and invaded northern Italy, where they raided the countryside around Treviso, Vicenza, Verona, Brescia, Bergamo and Milan. Between 907 and 910 they defeated three large Frankish imperial armies, including at the Battle of Eisenach in 908 and at the first Battle of Lechfeld in 910. Their raids reached far across Europe, including Reims, Saxony, Catalonia and Apulia. The Hungarians were finally stopped at the Battle of Lechfeld in 955, south of Augsburg, where they lost about 5,000 warriors. Raids on the Byzantine Empire continued until 970. Researchers count 45 or 47 raids between 899 and 970, and most of them, about 82.5%, ended with success.

Timeline of the Hungarian invasions

Between 811 and 895, the Hungarians (also called Magyars) took part in fights and raids across the region, often as allies of others. In 811 they fought with Krum of Bulgaria at the Battle of Pliska. In 862 they made their first raid into the Carpathian Basin, at the request of Rastislav of Moravia, against East Francia. In 895 they were forced west by Simeon I of Bulgaria and the Pechenegs, but then conquered the eastern parts of the Carpathian Basin, east of the river Danube. By 902 they had conquered the eastern parts of Great Moravia, completing the Hungarian Conquest of the Carpathian Basin.

After the conquest, Hungarian armies raided far beyond their new home. They attacked the Italian Kingdom and Venice in 899, and reached Constantinople in 934. They travelled through Bavaria, Saxony, Franconia, and West Francia, and even reached the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. In 933 they were defeated at the Battle of Riade by Henry the Fowler. In 955 the army of Otto I defeated the main Hungarian army at the Battle of Lechfeld, which ended the Hungarian invasions of western Europe. In 970 the Byzantines defeated Sviatoslav I of Kiev at the Battle of Arcadiopolis, which concluded the Hungarian invasions of Europe.

Tactics

The Hungarian army mostly used fast, lightly armed horse soldiers. They attacked without warning, quickly raided the countryside, and left before any defence could be organised. If forced to fight, they would shoot arrows at their enemies and then suddenly retreat. This would tempt their opponents to break ranks and chase them, and the Hungarians would then turn to fight them one at a time. This tactic is known as a feigned retreat.

protect us from the arrows of the Hungarians

— Hymn from Modena, around 900

Summary of battles

Aftermath

The Hungarians were the last invading people to settle permanently in Central Europe. Paul K. Davis writes that the Magyar defeat at the Battle of Lechfeld ended more than 90 years of their raids on western Europe. It also convinced the survivors to settle down, which created the basis for the state of Hungary.

In the following centuries, the Hungarians adopted western European forms of feudal military organization. Their armies relied mostly on heavily armored cavalry, which are soldiers fighting on horseback.