Page 61 - All About History 58 - 2017 UK

What if…

ATTILA THE HUN HAD SURVIVED HIS WEDDING NIGHT?

He was executing Hunnic princes left and right and oppressed for another century or so and we would have seen a vastly
Hunnic princes were fleeing to the Eastern Roman Empire. different Europe geopolitically than now. In essence, you
That was one of the main reasons Attila went to war with the get pretty similar borders, except that maybe instead of a
Eastern Romans — because Constantinople was harbouring Germany confined to what it is now, you might have had a
fugitive Hunnic princes. larger Germany that includes Austria, the Czech Republic,
I think that he might have replaced an emperor or two if Hungary and bits of Poland.
he had lived longer, or possibly enthroned somebody who
was more to his liking and paid regular tribute. That is shown How would Attila’s legacy have been different?
by the fact that he even just gives or is willing to give back If he had lived longer and established a long-lasting
territories conquered in the Roman Empire. He has no interest dynasty that produced a line of kings, then I think we’d
in ruling them. probably be talking about Attila in the same way we talk
about Clovis, the king of the Franks. We often talk about Attila
Did he have that much power, to dictate who as an alien king who invaded from Asia, but that’s not true.
became emperor? He was the fourth generation of the first Huns who entered
Possibly. He had an army no nation could withstand, so in Europe. He was basically European, and Hunnic remains show
terms of military strength the Huns were stronger than either that the Huns were completely European in appearance, so
the Western or Eastern Romans at the time. Militarily, he he was basically a European ruler who could speak multiple
could have imposed a rule to his liking on the Romans if he languages. If his descendants became
wanted to push that far — but, as I said earlier, he was a very Germanic kings of Germany, he would be
cautious man, so he was unwilling to engage too deeply in considered as just another European ruler.
prolonged overseas campaigns. He was always fearing some That’s how he would be regarded — not
kind of rebellion at home, so he couldn’t vacate his territories as someone who was about to destroy
too often. These campaigns against the Romans were more European civilisation.
a display of strength — not only to the Romans, but also to I think the literature on Attila tends to
his Hunnic subjects. dramatise the Battle of the Catalaunian
Plains, the big conflict between Aetius
Could he have conquered Europe if he had wanted to? and Attila, a clash of East and West.
He could have. But then he would have destroyed his own Europe was apparently saved because the
state in the process. The conquest actually happens, the Huns were stopped there. That’s not true,
Hunnic troops from Hunnic territory later conquer Italy because the composition of the armies
and create the first barbaric kingdom of Italy, so that in the battle were practically the same. It
could have happened. But if I was Attila, would I risk the didn’t really matter who won in terms of
disintegration of my empire, just to add more territory that the trajectory of European civilisation.
was difficult to govern? I don’t think so. The answer would Even if Attila had conquered all of
be yes, he could have conquered Europe, but I don’t think Western Europe — if he had bothered to
he would have. do so — the empire would inevitably have
become Christian and the culture of the
How long would the Hunnic Empire have lasted? aristocracy would have been Germanic.
The Hunnic Empire in Europe collapsed about 80 years [after You’re looking at the same kind of Europe
Attila’s death]. If he had been able to secure successions in even with Attila fighting on, and he would Attila raised the Western Roman city
an orderly fashion, then it probably would have lingered on be remembered as another Germanic king. of Aquileia to the ground in 452 CE

O Sacking of Rome O White Huns O Fall of Rome O Rise of the Franks
Rome is sacked by The White Huns, The Roman emperor Clovis, king of the
Vandals, signalling or Hephthalites, Romulus is overthrown Franks, sweeps through
the beginning of lead raids into by the Germanic Europe, leading
the end for the India, continuing leader Odoacer. The eventually to the
Roman Empire. the legacy of the Roman Empire is formation of the Holy
455 CE Huns. 470 CE finished. 476 CE Roman Empire. 486 CE

O The Huns
O Barbarians tamed collapse O Franks weakened O France sidelined
Germanic tribes The Hunnic Empire Clovis, king of the The Franks are
and Hunnic troops collapses, leaving Franks, does not confined to Belgium
remain under the barbarian and unify Western and the Netherlands
rule of the Huns, Germanic tribes in Europe as there is no as the Hunnic Empire
rather than marching its place to head power vacuum to fill continues to dominate
into Italy. 466 CE any more. 486 CE Europe. 500 CE
for Europe. 469 CE

O Huns united O Roman Empire O Attila’s O Welcome O Greater Germany
Attila manages to continues successors to Hunnia Attila leaves behind
keep the Hunnic The Roman Empire With a clear line The Huns create a Germany that
Empire together lives on as Attila does of succession laid a state known as includes modern-day
with the centre of not conquer Europe — out, Attila’s sons Hunnia in Europe, Austria, the Czech
power remaining but ensures a regular continue his reign as their empire lives Republic, Hungary
in the west in supply of tribute flows and keep the Huns on for more than a and parts of Poland.
Hungary. 460 CE after his death. 476 CE united. 480 CE century. 490 CE 510 CE

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