How come the Huns were able to defeat and plunder the Eastern Roman Empire, the richer, more populous...

How come the Huns were able to defeat and plunder the Eastern Roman Empire, the richer, more populous, more united half of the empire, yet were defeated in their first major battle against the poorer, weakened Western Romans?

since they were richer, more united, and more populous Attila was more cautious around the East Romans only raiding shit and not causing any real damage

West Rome wasn't so he thought it would be easier and thus wasn't as cautious and went full force despite it being further away and having the stronger Germanic tribes surrounding it.

Short answer: Goths and their shitty communication system, and the Romans using a very strong charge directed at Attila's position.

Long answer: The Visigothic king Theodoric stood with Western Rome because fuck those horse niggers, they kicked us out of our homeland. The Alans and other Germanics tagged along because why not, and the Western Romans provided a sizable force also because fuck those horse niggers.
The Huns did what they do best: kill. They had tons of allies too, but they were tagging along because Attila still had a kind of invincibility factor to him. He almost stood like the figure of Death incarnate to many.
When the Hunnic forces engaged the Romans and Visigoths, the Visigothic king was slain in the battle. However, his troops heard nothing of his death. Assuming he was still on the front, valiantly defying the Hunnic hordes, his troops pressed hard on the left.
Attila saw this and ordered his reserves to engage there. The Romans noticed the Huns leaving their center dangerously exposed, as well as exposing Attila's position behind the center. They charged home.
Smashing the Hunnic center, Attila withdrew swiftly. Ironically, due to strong Hunnic communication networks in combat, the Hunnic forces heard of this. Morale shattered, they barely held on until nightfall. Their germanic allies did as well, but all side retired as the sun set.
Once morning came, the true scale of the battle came into view. Attila's entire image of invincible conqueror was shaken. Not destoryed, but reduced enough to convince many of the Germanic allies serving him that they could return home.
Standing with only his original Huns and few Germanic locals, Attila made peace with the Visigoths and the other Germanic tribes fighting with the Romans.
After that, the Western Romans did not charge into the weakened Hunnic position. He respected Attila, and hoped he would appreciate the respect once he left Gaul.

Oh yeah, this battle was fought in fucking France

What I'm wondering is how did pope Leo convince atilla to turn back? What did he say to him?

I can think of two different routes:

1) Turn back now or you risk uniting a Christian people against you as God rains brimstone upon you for desecrating Rome

2) Actual decent discussion that involved a reminder of Attila's advancing age, risk of losing his empire if he does not secure turf he already occupies, and other things.

Either of which assume Attila was not a total empty-skulled barbarian

Fun fact the name Atilla is not a hunnic name but a Gothic name. The huns had amassed a rather large confederacy of pretty much everyone willing to plunder the carcass that was the Roman Empire.

either that or he bribed the guy

probably ensuring something for a later date which he didn't receive due to the whole nosebleed thing.

You're a big guy!

Not a bad theory either. But wouldn't Attila know that the papacy didn't have as much money as an entity like the Byzantines had? Like he would smell that the bribe was empty?


>the whole nosebleed thing
thanks for the mild kek, user

That is a fun fact. I can imagine that a lot of refugees and tribes standing at Rome's border for centuries would have a bone to pick.

probably wasn't empty

probably planned on giving it to him but when he received news of his death the pope was all like "oh well then I'll just keep the bribe"

I can see that result, but did the papacy of that time actually have enough money, either immediately or could gather in whatever time Leo may have arranged, to give to Attila?

Theodoric was killed in the middle of the battle and his son Thorismond was sworn King by the Visigothic nobility right there right away, while fighting the Ostrogoths.

Also it was actually Aetius who saved what was left of the Hunnic-Germanic army as they were fleeing and chased by the Visigoth cavalry to annihilate them. Aetius called off the pursue because he reasoned if the Visigoths went ahead and annihilate the Hunnic-Germanic coalitin in their retreat, that would leave the Visigoths as an hegemonic force. Which left the Visigoths particularly pissed off with the romans for literally letting the enemy escape after all the heavy fightng and the death of their King in battle.

That decision could have cost him dearly as the Huns regrouped and this time marched towards Rome itself. Attila spared it for some reason, and eventually Ostrogoths, Lombards, Thuringians, Gepids, etc uncucked themselves.from the Hun cuckold and that was it.

>Attila spared it for some reason

Hey, was being spared by Rome earlier a reason for Attila to turn around? Did that steppe mongrel have some honor in him to follow up on that?

The spirit of Rome lies in the West.

How come no one ever talks about the Hunnic army the Sassanids annihilated so badly in the Caucasus which is why Attila turned his hoard away toward the ERE and WRE in the first place?

For anyone wondering, "Isten Kardja" is Hungarian for "The Sword of God".

Probably that the plague that was hitting his army was the wrath of God and Attila making a strategic decision chose to leave Italy before plague overran his camp.

I think Aetius is such an interesting figure but i can't find much material on him. Do you know any good sources or books about him?

Not specifically about Aetius, but I remember this novel 'Attila, the scourge of God'. Pretty good.

>Fun fact the name Atilla is not a hunnic name but a Gothic name.


No one knows exact etymology of his name, it's just one of the guesses from 19th century, stop spreading your nonsense.

Eastern: Infighting. Divide and conquer.
Western: not enough data on how to cause infighting.