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The Xiongnu Empire

For most Chinese people, when the word "Asian" is mentioned, it is easy to think of An "orthodox" image of yellow people. They have medium to short stature, sparse hair, light yellow skin, slender eyes, not very prominent brow ridges, and straight but not high nose bridges. This is a typical image of Northeast Asians, mainly distributed in northern China, North Korea and Japan. We think this is the "pure" yellow race. The history and culture of Asia are mainly their history and culture. They created Asia and gave Asia the meaning of "Asia". Other Asians are hybridized both physically and culturally. West Asians were hybridized by Indo-European races, and South Asians were hybridized by Negro race. We tend to associate this orthodox Asian with a long history and cultural origins, intensive agriculture and a gentle and reserved character. They are not toned and muscular, and although there may be many tall individual types, they are generally not stocky. No matter in terms of history, culture, social life or physique, they all appear too slender, as if they have been overly saturated with a precocious civilization. There seems to be a feminine element in the intuitive imagery of Asia.

It should be said that this is an incomplete or inaccurate impression. The slender and feminine characteristics of Asia come from the continental climate and physical geographical conditions, as well as the agricultural production methods determined by them. In fact, the real North Asians are nomadic people. They have never been the gentle and reserved, overly civilized and somewhat feminine "Asians" like us. They are a fierce, provocative, and bloody nation. Although they did not develop a sophisticated agricultural culture, they were never less intelligent than us. Ordinary Westerners and Western anthropologists position the representatives of Asians as Mongolians. This is somewhat strange to us Chinese, or so-called "orthodox" Asians. Our ancients thought that the northern grassland peoples were different from us, saying that their faces were "broad and wide and stretched upwards and downwards." If we know something about Western history, we will understand that it is not surprising that Westerners like to refer to Asians as Mongolians. You must know that the nomadic people of the North Asian grasslands left a profound impression on them. It is not an exaggeration to say that they will be unforgettable. The kind of Mongols they are talking about have migrated to the west on a large scale, or simply invaded or swept away, whether in the pre-civilization period or in recorded historical periods. North Asians were good at expeditions. In the early days of human civilization, they were widely distributed across the Eurasian continent. The Lapps in Western Europe and the Eskimos in the Arctic, as well as the Finn-Ugric language group, Hungary and Bulgaria in central Europe, and the Mongolian facial shape and cultural characteristics of the Russians are all the result of their activities. They also brought the technology and science of distant China to the West.

Since the beginning of recorded history, North Asian steppe peoples have made four military invasions of the West. The first was the westward migration of the Huns; the second and third marked the beginning of the history of Hungary and Bulgaria respectively; and the fourth was the Mongolian expedition. Among them, both the first and fourth times have direct or indirect relations with China. The nightmare most vividly remembered by Europeans is the Mongolian conquest of the world. We Chinese are no strangers to the Mongolian conquests in the thirteenth century. Genghis Khan's ambitions led to the insertion of a Yuan dynasty into the annals of Chinese history, a vast empire spanning Eurasia unique in human history. The advanced military technology and science of the Han people made the Mongolian expedition unstoppable. Their military advantage over Westerners was no less than that of the United States over Iraq in the Gulf War. Although their civilization enlightenment was later than that of our Han people, the Mongols are by no means lacking in wisdom. Genghis Khan was never a reckless hero who only knew how to bend a bow and shoot at eagles. It was the Mongols who were the first to apply the idea of ??systems engineering to warfare. We can fully imagine that without the thinking of systems engineering, such a huge expedition plan would be impossible to realize. A reliable logistics support system, a unique engineering force commanded by Han people at the time, advanced military tools and communication methods, and careful battle plans, coupled with their natural bravery and toughness, as well as their monotony and backwardness in material enjoyment, This allowed them to travel across Eurasia like a hurricane. This was a real Mongolian hurricane, the "Yellow Peril" that still haunts Westerners.

Although the Mongolian conquest was of such a huge scale, I think among the Asian yellow people who conquered Europe, the westward migration of the Huns was the most tragic and poetic, and had immeasurable historical significance. . Regardless of whether Westerners are willing to accept this view, in fact it was the Huns who contributed to a turning point in the development of European history. They pushed the Germanic barbarians in the jungle onto the stage of history, and together with them they ended the era of the Romans in a devastating manner. The history of the empire disappeared, the pluralistic political structure of Western Europe composed of various feudal countries began, and a major division of European countries that continues almost to this day was formed. Attila, the last Hun king, was unanimously called the "scourge of God" by the sinister Romans and barbaric Germans, expressing Europe's fear and helplessness. However, don’t forget that it was the Huns who wielded the first whip that turned the chariot of European history. This is the true whip of God. The Huns established a vast empire in Europe, but their empire was short-lived. Their fate in Europe seems to have been merely a turning point in history.

When this transition was completed, their empire collapsed, and even the entire nation was absorbed into European history and culture and ceased to exist. The story of the Huns who migrated westward to Europe is extremely dramatic. This nation ended itself at the most glorious moment of its life, leaving behind an unforgettable legend.

In the vocabulary of Westerners, the Huns are synonymous with extremely vicious people. During World War II, Hitler's German soldiers were called Huns. However, in the lands once ruled by the Huns, people still respect and miss Attila's heroism. To this day, Attila is still the name used by boys in Hungary and Turkey, and some people even claim to be descendants of Attila. In addition, the Huns left another thing to Europe. After Attila failed to conquer Gaul (the only failure in his life), he attacked Aquileia in Italy the following year. Some farmers and fishermen, known as Venetians, fled the war to a marshy peninsula on the Adriatic coast. After hundreds of years of operation, they established one of the most beautiful and developed city-states in Europe, which later became the Republic of Venice.

We Chinese are no strangers to the Huns. They are a northern nomadic people living on the Mongolian Plateau. They are also known as the Hu people in history. They have been around since the beginning of recorded history. During the Yin and Shang Dynasties, they were called Guifang, Quanrong, etc. The ancient Chinese believed that they, like us, were descendants of Yan and Huang, descendants of the Xia people who were driven to the north by the Yin people. From the Spring and Autumn Period, until the Eastern Han Dynasty, and even during the Five Hus and Sixteen Kingdoms period, the Huns continued to harass southward. In the 24th year of Guangwu and Jianwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty (48 BC), a small group of Huns, about 5,000 households, split off and joined the Han Dynasty. They were called the Southern Xiongnu. Most of the remaining Huns, namely the Northern Huns, were defeated by the Eastern Han Empire and fled to the west in AD 89. In order to maintain the integrity of their nation, these Huns who moved westward struggled for more than 200 years on the grasslands around the Caspian Sea in order to find a new home. In the second half of the fourth century (AD 360), their power suddenly exploded. Under the leadership of a king named Balambir, the Huns entered the territory of the Alans, a powerful kingdom between the Volga and Don rivers and belonging to the Turkic nomads. The Huns defeated the Alan coalition forces along the Don River, killed the Alan king, and made the Alan army their allies through treaties and threats of force. The Huns then began to continue westward, and their next conquest was against the Ostrogoths. From this moment on, the most glorious scene of this nation began.

I do not deny that I am very fond of this period of history. When I first learned about Attila's great deeds, I was fascinated by these Huns. Their historical role, their tragic fate, their outstanding military and diplomatic genius, and the impact they have left on the Western world as a true oriental nation - to be precise, a descendant of Yan and Huang - , are deeply attracted to me. I should say they evoked an emotion in me. If this emotion can be conveyed to readers, then I will feel very satisfied. This article will talk about some of the deeds of the Huns in Europe.

When the Huns entered Europe, they had been away from their traditional homeland for more than three hundred years. Before this, apart from Chinese history books, there were very few records about them, especially their experience of migrating from northern China to the west. Generally speaking, we can know that the Northern Xiongnu passed through Kangju, Dayuan, Shanshan and other Western Region countries on their way westward. These countries had been conquered and enslaved by the Huns in the past, so instead of welcoming their transit, they took advantage of their downfall to retaliate. Therefore, the Xiongnu had to continue to move westward to find a new homeland for survival. During this period, they stayed in Central Asia for about two hundred years. When they left for the last time, the Huns left the old and the weak in the local area and selected the strong to continue their western expedition.

Some European historians believe that they had little cultural achievements. They were just a nomadic people who lived on horseback and had unusual military genius. The Roman historian Marcellinus described them as a group of savages who did not know how to use fire, did not know how to appreciate delicious food, and ate the meat and grass roots of any animal. This obviously contains considerable distortion and misunderstanding. The social organization of the Huns was a military tribal alliance. They are good at fighting and have extremely strong combat mobility. They are good at riding and shooting, and are good at pretending to retreat to lure the enemy, and then outflank them. They could tell the number of enemies based on the smoke and dust raised by horses running in the distance. They are thought to have invented some harnesses, such as the stirrups for riding horses.

Some people think that due to their long-distance migration, they have experienced many regions and ethnic groups, so their physiques have changed greatly. However, according to the description of Attila's image in ancient Western historical books, it can be seen that he has typical characteristics of the yellow race. We can imagine that the Huns recruited some other races as their allies during their westward migration. Over the past two to three hundred years, these foreigners mixed with the Huns to varying degrees. The later Huns actually mixed a variety of different ingredients, but they all identified themselves as Huns in terms of national cultural characteristics and national psychology.

The Huns had a very barbaric custom in social life. After a woman lost her husband, she had to be adopted by her stepson. Cai Wenji suffered this humiliation when she lived in Hu State.

After her husband, King Zuoxian of the Southern Huns, died, his ex-wife's son asked his heir to marry his stepmother. Of course Wenji refused and wrote to Cao Cao for help. Cao Cao advised him to follow Hu customs. Wen Ji had no choice but to get married. Although it is said that a big reason for this custom is to prevent one's property, power, and status from flowing out, it is still an unethical and bad habit that will eventually be abandoned. By the time of the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty, many women already regarded this as a great shame and humiliation.

After the Huns defeated the Alans, they temporarily settled in the Don River grassland. To the west of the Huns alliance, there are two Germanic tribal alliances: one is the Ostrogoth alliance from the west of the Dnieper River to the east of the Denis River, and the other is the Ostrogoth alliance west of the Denis River. to the Visigoth alliance between the Carpathians. To the southwest of the Visigoth League was the territory of the Roman Empire. After the Roman Empire conquered Gaul, it mainly had Germanic neighbors in the north. Initially, it was mostly the Romans who expanded and plundered the Germanic areas. After the third century, the empire declined day by day, the border defenses were loosened, and various Germanic barbarian tribes continued to encroach and infiltrate. The situation at that time was somewhat similar to China's "Five Barbarians" in the same period (why the German attack changed the historical and political structure of Western Europe, and the Han Empire in the same period returned to China after being invaded by the "Five Barbarians") Returned to the Sui Dynasty? This is a historical issue worth exploring). These Germanic barbarian tribes later launched a full-scale attack on the Roman Empire and eventually became the conquerors of the empire.

In the era of the Roman Empire, the Germans were called barbarians because of their cultural backwardness. At that time, the Germans lived in the forest. They basically made a living by hunting. They wore animal skins, ate animal meat, lived in straw huts, and had no writing or etiquette. They never bathed, and their bodies smelled so bad that civilized people were afraid to avoid them. The Romans at that time cursed, "Don't let me meet a German." The Germans were tall, with blue eyes and white skin, golden red hair, and extremely strong bodies. Their children were raised like animals without care, and women often did heavy manual labor. The tribal organization of the Germans was a primitive military tribal alliance, and the leader was also the highest military officer. The Germanic tribes had been at war with each other for many years, and all men were warriors. Their horses were small and used primarily for riding rather than fighting. When facing an enemy, they would jump off their horses and fight with the enemy with a kind of short sword. At this time, their horses would stand still obediently. In their morality, loyalty and bravery come first. If the king dies in battle but the soldiers come back alive, it is regarded as a great shame. Their only saving grace in the eyes of the Romans was their treatment of women. The Germans practiced monogamy, and they respected women's opinions in their daily lives. Comparing "Gaul Wars" and "Germania", we can see that the Germans made rapid progress. In only about three hundred years, they had already learned agriculture and winemaking to a considerable extent. Compared with the Huns, the Germans' living conditions were much better. They had forests and land suitable for farming, while the Huns had long lived on the northern steppes with harsh climate conditions.

In 375 AD, the Huns, led by their old king Balambal, began to attack the territory of the Ostrogoths in a large scale, starting a war that lasted for more than two hundred years in the history of medieval Europe. The prelude to the great national migration. The Ostrogoths had never seen mounted combat, nor had they seen such a swift and violent attack. Under the overwhelming attack of the Huns, the Ostrogothic king committed suicide due to guilt because he could not save his homeland. His subjects fled westward to the Danube River like water. In order to find a new living space, these terrified German barbarians attacked the Visigoth tribes they passed along the way, uprooted them and drove them further west. While fleeing, the Visigoths attacked the neighboring Germanic tribes. This fear soon spread to the Vandals, Suebi, Burgundians, Alamanni, Franks and Saxons. . This was like a chain reaction, and the Huns' attack drove almost all the Germanic tribes into action. Ammianus Marcellinus, the historian of the Roman Empire, vividly recorded the situation at that time. In his book "History", he said, "A kind of thing that had not been heard of before. The Goths, who did not know where on earth, came like a blizzard on the mountains, and everything they encountered was robbed and destroyed." The Goths, "exhausted from hunger and cold, rebelled against Atanaric. , trying to escape to a place unknown to these barbarians and resettle."

There is no doubt that the military capabilities of the Huns exceeded all the German barbarians and Romans at that time, Masilinas said. This has been described very vividly. The Huns always made chaotic shouts when fighting. Sometimes they formed regular columns, but most of the time they fought without rules. The Huns' combat mobility was unusual. They would sometimes scatter suddenly and sometimes gather together extremely quickly to form a loose array. They will run like lightning across the wilderness, flying over the enemy's camp with lightning speed, causing the enemy to be attacked before they know it. The Huns' excellent mounted and archery skills enabled them to fight at long distances. When fighting at close range, they had no regard for their own safety. When the enemy tried to avoid their swords, they would throw a net to trap the enemy and prevent him from moving.

Under pressure from the Huns, all these Germans fled westward, hoping to seek refuge within the Roman Empire by settling there. The Visigoths later crossed the Danube River and took refuge in Thrace within the empire with the permission of the Roman Emperor Valens. The number of Visigoths who came to take refuge was so large that the Roman officials responsible for counting them could not count them at all. After the count reached 200,000, they lost control. Masilinus records that "the Goths came in great force like a furious tide." The influx of so many Visigoths was undoubtedly an uneasy factor for the Roman Empire. But the Roman officials in charge of these Visigoths made a huge mistake. They took the opportunity to arbitrarily use and humiliate these German barbarians, and finally forced them to rise up and resist. In 378 AD, the Visigoths defeated the Roman army that came to suppress them at Adrianople near Constantinople, and Emperor Valens himself was killed. Later, the Roman general Theodosius reluctantly suppressed the uprising, at the cost of allowing the Visigoths to live in the western Balkans as allies. Theodosius later became the emperor of Rome. Before his death, he divided Rome into east and west parts and bequeathed them to his two sons. In this way, starting from 395 AD, there were independent Eastern and Western Roman Empires. The capital of Western Rome was still the city of Rome, while the capital of Eastern Rome was Constantinople (the Roman Empire began to implement decentralization in 285 AD, but was restored to unity by Emperor Constantine in 312 AD).

The Germans are wild and unwilling barbarians, and they are also true warriors. Like the Huns, as a backward barbarian people, they knew little about the enjoyment of life except alcoholism. Therefore, compared with the Romans, they could achieve high combat effectiveness at a very low cost. After the Germans were driven out of the forest, they could no longer maintain their accustomed way of life and became real bandits and conquerors. They spread throughout the Roman Empire, especially the Visigoths and Vandals. The Visigoths continued to conquer vast areas of Gaul, Italy, and Spain. In 396 AD, King Alaric of the Visigoths captured Athens and looted it. In 401 AD, the Visigoths invaded Italy and burned Rome in 410 AD, making the holy city fall for the first time. The Vandals attacked Rome again in 455, looting and destroying it and causing extremely heavy losses. This is how Vandalism, which ruined and destroyed the achievements of civilization, got its name. In just a few decades, several Germanic kingdoms were established in the empire. The Visigoths conquered and founded Spain in 416. The Franks occupied Gaul in 418 and established the Frankish Kingdom. The Burgundians also founded their country in Gaul. The Vandals and Suebi entered North Africa in 429, occupied and established their capital in Carthage in 439.

In these German conquests, the Huns rarely participated in them and played a significant role. After the first heavy blow to Europe, they stayed along the Danube River and established a Hun Empire in Central Europe centered on the Great Hungarian Plain (then called Pannonia). During this period, the Ostrogoths were forced to join the Huns' alliance, which strengthened their power. They also fought with the Visigoths against the Romans. They crossed the Danube in 395 and participated in the battle against the Romans; they also participated in the battle to capture the city of Rome in 410. But for fifty years they held their position essentially as allies of the Romans. In return, starting from 420, the Eastern Roman Empire would provide them with a certain salary every year. By the time of Theodosius I in 432, the power of the Huns had increased significantly, so much so that the Hunnic king Roas, also known as Rugilas, forced the Eastern Romans to pay annual A large stipend, which in essence has become a tribute. This uneasy relationship continued until the Huns repeatedly threatened to intervene directly in the internal affairs of the empire.

The decisive rise of the Huns' power came after Attila (406-453) ascended the throne and became the king of the Hun Empire. In 433 AD, the 27-year-old Attila and his brother Bleda inherited the throne of the empire from their uncle Loas. In 436, Attila murdered his brother and ruled the empire alone. Compared to his predecessors, Attila was more ambitious and aggressive. Attila is a very prominent character in history.

The decisive rise of the Huns' power came after Attila (406-453) ascended the throne and became the king of the Hun Empire. In 433 AD, the 27-year-old Attila and his brother Bleda inherited the throne of the empire from their uncle Loas. In 436, Attila ruthlessly murdered his brother and ruled the empire alone. Compared with his predecessors, Attila was more ambitious, more aggressive, and extremely intelligent. Attila is a very prominent character in history. The Hun Empire during the Attila period was the last and most glorious chapter in the history of the Huns. He humiliated the Romans, frightened the Germans, and was so powerful that he frustrated and helpless the Westerners, so much so that he and his Huns cavalry were called the "Scourge of God."

Regarding various aspects of Attila himself, there have been some derogatory records in Western history books, but they still contain vivid and concrete descriptions. Attila fought bravely when he was young, but after becoming king, he relied more on his brains rather than his martial arts to complete the conquest of the north. He showed great ambition, superb political and diplomatic skills, and was cunning and cruel. As Attila, King of the Hun, his gait and behavior show a kind of arrogance and arrogance whose power is proud of that of all mankind. According to legend, he once claimed to possess the sword of the God of War, so when his subordinates met him, if they looked directly at him, they had to step back at the same time, otherwise their eyes would be burned out. He had a habit of rolling his eyes ferociously, as if he enjoyed the fear of those he frightened. Attila advocated simplicity in life, but he tolerated the luxury of his subordinates. His subjects were very afraid of him, and when he went out on patrol, anyone who saw him would cheer for him as a sign of awe. In Western historical legends, Attila was extremely cruel and ferocious, specializing in the evil deeds of robbing cities; and he was so concentrated in evil that babies would die if he saw him. Attila's appearance seems unflattering. According to records, he was short and fat, with broad shoulders, a huge head on a short and thick neck, thick black hair and a sparse beard, a flat nose, and a pair of sharp and sinister black eyes. Although this description may seem a little disrespectful, there is no doubt that this is an image of an Oriental. This shows that after more than 300 years of westward migration, the Huns were not mixed with other ethnic groups and lost their original physical characteristics.

We don’t know much about the social life of the Huns during Attila’s time, but we can still get a glimpse of it from some legends and stories. There was an Eastern Roman official and his entourage who went on a mission to the Hun Empire. They were fortunate enough to meet Attila and other Hun generals, and even attended the feast held by Attila. From his lengthy record of this experience, we can learn a lot about the folklore, diplomacy, and politics of the time.

These Roman officials encountered heavy rains and floods on the way. Fortunately, they were able to escape with the help of the Huns from nearby villages. The Huns welcomed them into the village to warm themselves by the fire, served them delicious food, and arranged for them to rest. Not only that, but as part of their goodwill, the Huns also sent beautiful girls to accompany them to rest. By the way, the chief in charge of this village is a young woman. It can be seen that the Huns, as a culturally backward nation at that time, had barbaric customs and simple and kind folkways coexisting. In terms of material life such as clothing, food, and shelter, the Huns were generally wealthy. They have fresh food and fine wine, nice hair styles, noble clothes and even huge bathrooms. But they only have villages, not cities. Attila's palace was nothing more than a wooden structure, surrounded by wooden piles and topped with a minaret. The residences of his subordinates were not allowed to have minarets. Although the Huns' folk customs are simple, it can be seen from this story that Attila himself has been honed in many years of diplomatic, political and military competition to be very meticulous in his heart, and he is completely a careerist in the civilized era. He has a high prestige among his subjects. There will be a canopy to greet him when entering and leaving the palace, and hymns are specially composed for him during banquets.

Due to the extremely vast territory involved in many years of conquest, the ethnic composition of the Huns’ tribe was very complex. Hunnic, Gothic and Latin, or a mixture of these languages, were all spoken here. ; but few except the captives spoke Greek. This Eastern Roman official met and talked with a Greek at the site of Attila's palace. This Greek was originally a prisoner, but he was freed due to his bravery in battle, married a Hunnic woman, and became a guest of the nobles. What is interesting is the comparison and evaluation of the Hunnic Empire and the Roman Empire by this Greek. He said that he liked living among these savages. When there was no war, life here was quite peaceful and prosperous. Rome, in turn, was responsible for many of the disasters caused by war. The Romans based their own security on the interests of others, and when there was war, the Roman generals were cowards and were not qualified to lead the army. During peacetime, Roman society was divided into many classes, and taxes were extremely heavy to support many people who got something for nothing. The rich are familiar with the law and have money, so they can always get the protection of the law; while the poor always violate the law unknowingly, and the endless lawsuits cost a lot of money. Justice is purchased with money. Regarding these "fallacies", the Roman official's refutation is also interesting and thought-provoking. He said that the great men and wise men who established the empire at the beginning, in order to ensure the normal operation of the order of the empire, had to divide the society into many classes, and everyone performed their duties, so taxation was necessary; as far as the law was concerned, the complexity of litigation was to ensure that Justice is served.

In foreign affairs, there is clearly an unequal relationship. The purpose of this Eastern Roman official coming to the Hun Empire was to return several defectors from the Hun Empire, and to discuss and negotiate with Attila on issues of interest between the two countries under the emperor's instructions. The whole process was filled with Attila's arrogance towards the Eastern Roman Empire, which always promised large amounts of gifts. Here they also met several envoys from Western Rome. These Western Romans brought with them their emperor's plea for Attila, hoping that Attila would spare a Roman silver merchant who was the creditor of a Huns prisoner and had a large amount of gold in his hands. .

Attila first crucified the captive, and then learned that he had gold in the hands of the silver dealer, so he asked the Western Roman emperor to hand over both the man and the stolen goods. The emperor asked to let the businessman go and promised to pay an equal amount of gold. Attila paid no attention to this. Incidentally, the Western Roman general Aetius sent an Italian named Constantius to Attila as his personal secretary. The prisoner mentioned earlier who was killed by Attila was also named Constantius, and he was a Gauls.

Attila was the greatest leader in the history of the Huns. He not only established the most powerful Hun Empire, but also relied on his own mind and the military power of the empire to occupy an extremely prominent position in the political arena of Western Europe at that time. After he became king (about 435 years later), Attila forced the Eastern Romans to pay more money, and Emperor Theodosius II was forced to double the tribute of previous years. However, due to various reasons, the new Hun king began to turn his attention to the west after 447, using Western Rome as the main area to find new opportunities. More than ten years after he ascended the throne, Attila's Hun Empire became the most powerful external force in the competition for various affairs in the Western Roman Empire. During his reign, the Huns had become a settled people and no longer the horse herders they had been before. The Great Hungarian plains did not have enough space for them to graze their horses like the steppes north of the Black Sea, so Attila had to develop infantry regiments to supplement the much smaller cavalry force than in the past. In fact, in Attila's time, the Huns' army was almost the same in form as other barbarians in Europe at that time. The difference is that his military power is extremely large and he can carry out large-scale military operations such as siege and siege, which is beyond the reach of other barbarian armies.

In any case, Attila's invasion of Gaul was a large-scale military operation. In the 540s AD, Attila carried out a series of fatal blows to the eastern Balkans. One of these cities (441-442), located on the banks of the Nicechava River more than a hundred miles south of the Danube, was so completely destroyed by the Huns that when the Roman envoys went to meet Attila several years later and passed by, they were still there. It can be seen that there are numerous bones on the shore, and the smell of corpses in the city is high. Since then, many cities in Gaul have not been immune to this fate.

After the Huns established a strong position in the Danube region adjacent to Rome, they were blocked in Thrace by the famous Eastern Roman general Aspar in 442. In 447 Attila launched a larger invasion of the Balkans. They marched straight to the walls of Constantinople, forcing the Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II to surrender. Attila not only collected all the outstanding tribute, but also received a new annual tribute worth 2,100 pounds of gold, and was also given a considerable area of ??territory south of the Danube. This battle caused unprecedented heavy damage to Eastern Rome. According to historians, the Huns passed through "countless killings and rivers of blood. They looted churches and monasteries, and killed monks and nuns... They completely destroyed Thrace, making it impossible to recover." The past is the same." Attila's victory over Eastern Rome gave him enough room to maneuver to realize his plan to raid Western Europe.

By 445, the power of the Hunnic Empire reached its peak, with its territory roughly extending from the Caspian Sea in the east to the Baltic Sea and the Rhine River in the west. Both East and West Rome were forced to pay tribute to them in order to avoid being ravaged. At that time, after decades of war with various Germanic barbarians, the Western Roman Empire had loosened its border defenses and greatly weakened its military strength; however, the forces of various Germanic barbarians were rising one after another. In this kind of chaos and competition among heroes, the Xiongnu Empire is the most powerful. The various factions of the Romans and Germans wanted to win over the Huns to subdue each other. Attila, on the other hand, took advantage of the complicated contradictions in the West to skillfully deal with it and tried to exert his political revenge. For Attila, attacking Eastern Rome and burning the Balkans was just a prelude, and the complete occupation of Gaul was the first goal to realize his ambition.

In the following years