Attila’s Invasion of Gaul (451 CE)

In the spring of 451 CE, Attila the Hun gathers his vast coalition of vassal tribes, including the Gepids, Heruls, Ostrogoths, Rugians, Scirians, and Thuringians, launching a devastating campaign through Germany. His forces lay waste to settlements, spreading panic and destruction, as terrified populations flee before his advance.

Crossing the Rhine and the Sack of Metz

By the time Attila reaches Belgica, he commands an army of approximately 50,000 men, a force composed of Hunnic cavalry, Germanic auxiliaries, and subject warbands. With his sights set on Gaul, he crosses the Rhine, initiating one of the most destructive invasions of the late Roman world.

On April 7, 451, Metz, a key Gallo-Roman city in Belgica, falls to the Huns. The city is sacked and burned, its inhabitants slaughtered or taken captive. The destruction of Metz sends shockwaves throughout Gaul, as it becomes clear that Rome’s last remaining strongholds are in immediate peril.

The Hun Advance Toward the Heart of Gaul

With Metz in ruins, Attila continues his march deeper into Gaul, laying waste to towns and cities along the way. His goal appears to be the destruction of the Western Roman Empire’s authority in Gaul, possibly with the ultimate aim of capturing Orléans or even Toulouse, the stronghold of the Visigoths.

As Attila advances, Flavius Aetius, Rome’s most experienced general, rushes to assemble a coalition of Roman forces, Visigothic warriors, and other federate allies. Their confrontation at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains will soon decide the fate of Gaul—and determine whether Attila’s ambition can be stopped.