Cawdrey+--+Atilla

Grace Cawdrey 4.9.12     word count (506) Attila The Hun The greatest ruler of history has to be great militarily, great politically, and impactful enough to be remembered throughout time. Attila the Hun, king of the Hunnish nomads, was the Hun’s greatest leader and military general from 434 to 453 AD.[1] Attila was the greatest leader in history because he conquered land for his people, was the most feared person of the 5th century AD, and despite Attila’s brief time in power, was able to help destroy the Western Roman Empire and scare the Eastern by making a significant impact in each battle, even if he lost. The Huns were an assembly of nomadic steppe people that came from Eurasia.[2] The Hunnish confederation was consolidated under Attila’s uncle Rua’s reign. Attila acquired large amounts of land in modern Germany, Russia, Poland, and southeastern Europe in a short amount of time.[3] Attila was known as the scourge of God. He was a mighty warrior who threatened peace of the late ancient world during his reign. In Western Europe Attila is remembered as the epitome of cruelty and rapacity.[4] Attila demolished everything in his battlefield and his barbarian invasions were more than anybody else. In 444 Attila murdered his own brother Bleda to become the sole ruler of the Hun.[5] Attila the Hun was a masterful killing machine and became very famous for it. Attila’s relationship with the Roman Empire is his most important achievement. In 435, Attila negotiated a treaty with the Eastern Roman Empire about a bigger tribute. When the Eastern Roman emperor, Theodosius II, refused to pay tribute, Attila’s military genius saw the opportunity to attack while Theodosius was preoccupied with the Persians. The result of the attack was deadly and human bones filled the Danube River. In 443 Attila won battles that threatened Constantinople, which raised the annual tribute again. The bloodthirsty Attila, leader of a confederation of once nomads, was able to make a substantial dent in the Eastern Roman empire and then contribute greatly to the fall of the Western. [6] In 450 Attila took Honoria, sister of the Western emperor, Valentinian III, as his wife.[7] Attila expected a dowry and invaded Gaul in 451 to enforce this, but was defeated. In 452 he ran a series of attacks in northern Italy but never got to attack Rome. He planned to invade the Byzantium Empire again, but he died suddenly in 453. [8]After his death, his sons divided his empire. The Eastern Roman Empire paid this one man an annual tribute to keep peace. The Western Roman Empire was quickly falling apart and Attila’s presence contributed tremendously to its fall. Unfortunately, Attila’s successors we not as capable as him and so his empire did not flourish after his death. Attila the Hun is the greatest ruler of all time because not only was he militarily successful, swift in conquering land in a short time, and kept his empire together, but he spread throughout that ancient world as a notoriously brutal tyrant and still remains a household name for the same reason.

Bibliography

Ferrill, Arther. History.com. Accessed April 10, 2012. []. Grade:14

Frater, Jamie. Listverse. Accessed April 10, 2012. http://listverse.com/2007/09/05/top-10-most-evil-men/. Grade:11

Frassetto, Michael. "Attila the Hun." In //World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras//. ABC-CLIO, 2004-. Accessed April 10, 2012. [].

Haaren, John H. "Famous Men of the Middle Ages: Attila the Hun." Sacred Texts. Accessed April 10, 2012. http://www.sacred-texts.com/etc/fmma/fmma06.htm. Grade:10

History World. Accessed April 10, 2012. http://history-world.org/attila.htm. Grade:9

The Biography Channel. Accessed April 9, 2012. []. Grade:12 // World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras //, s.v. "Huns," accessed April 10, 2012. http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/.

[1] Ferrill, Arther. HIstory.com, "Atilla." Accessed April 10, 2012. http://www.history.com/topics/atilla. [2] Brion, Marcel. ABC Clio, "Huns." Accessed April 10, 2012. http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/575996?terms=huns. [3] Frassetto, Michael. ABC Clio, "Attila the Hun." Accessed April 10, 2012. http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/575965?terms=atilla the un. [4] Frater, Jamie. Listverse, "Top 10 Most Evil Men." Last modified September 5, 2007. Accessed April 10, 2012. http://listverse.com/2007/09/05/top-10-most-evil-men/. [5] Frasseto, “Attila the Hun.” [6] (whole paragraph to this point) Ibid. [7] History World, "Attila." Accessed April 10, 2012. http://history-world.org/attila.htm. [8] Ibid.