Barbarians of Europe

Group / Location / Noteworthy Details / Demise

Huns

/ Origin: Central Asia
Ravaged Central and Western Europe / Unified by Attila in 434 A.D. Ravaged North Italy. Chased Italian refugees into Lagoon of Venice. Became the city of Venice. / Attila died in 453. Subjects revolted and defeated the Huns.
Visigoths / Origin: Scandinavia
North of lower Danube, Eastern Euro, Sacked Rome, Gaul Kingdom, then Spain / Introduced cavalry warfare. Sacked Rome in 410. Began the decline of the Roman Empire. Created monarchy in Gaul, centered in Toulouse. Driven out by the Franks and into Iberian Peninsula. / Last King, Roderick, killed by Moors in 711
Ostrogoths / Origin: Scandinavia
North of Black Sea, Between Europe and Asia, Moved to North Italy / Absorbed by Huns in 370. Regained freedom upon Attila’s death. Theodoric led them to invade North Italy, overthrown by Byzantine. / Absorbed into other groups after defeat by Byzantine.
Vandals / Origin: Scandinavia
South Poland in 100 A.D. Threatened by Huns, Moved west settled in North Africa / Overran Gaul, Spain, N. Africa. Under King Ginseric, ravaged Rome in 455. Caused so much damage and destruction that Vandal became term for a person who destroys property of others. / Defeated by Byzantine in 534
Franks / Origin: Along the Rhine River
Controlled much of Western Europe / Under Clovis, defeated Romans, Gauls, Visigoths, and others. Controlled almost all of Europe for nearly 400 years.
Greatest King = Charlemagne
Crowned Emperor of the West by Pope Leo III. France named for Franks. / Charlemagne dies, splits into France, Germany, & Italy
Lombards / Origin: Island in Baltic Sea
Settled in Austria, moved into N. Italy. / Such a threat to papal supremacy that Pope Steven II called Franks, led by Pepin III (the Short) to help. North Italy named for them, Lombardy. / Defeated in 754 by Franks.

Group

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Noteworthy Details

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Demise

Angles / Origin: Schleswig, Germany
then England / 1st half of the Anglo-Saxon power that dominated England for the next 400 years. / Defeated by Danes; then Normans who intermixed with them.
Saxons / Origin: Denmark
Conquered Gaul, then England / 2nd half of the Anglo-Saxon power that dominated England for the next 400 years. / Defeated by Danes; then Normans who intermixed with them.
Gauls / Gaul – west of Rhine river, North of Pyrenees, Italy and Asia Minor. / Led by priests known as druids, traveled into Italy and had some success battling Romans. Under Julius Ceasar, Gaul fell and eventually became home of Franks. Galatians are descendants of the Gaul. / Became part of Roman Empire.
Danes / Scandinavians of Denmark / Vikings of the 6th and 7th century throughout England, France, the Netherland, Belgium, and Luxembourg. United by Harold Bluetooth in 950, later converted to Christianity. 1016 Dane warrior Canute became King of England. / Christianity and intermixing
Normans / Scandinavia, then North France and England / Vikings who invaded N. France in 800. Stayed there in what is now Normandy. 1066 William the Conqueror took English throne. Normandy and England and France battle for land for many years. 1450 Normandy permanently restored to France as a province. / Normans intermix with Anglo-Saxons.