Nan'an Yinwang succeeds his father Tai Wu Di after he is assassinated by the eunuch Zong Ai.

Later this year, Yinwang is murdered as well, and Ai is overthrown by a group of high officials.

Wen Cheng Di, age twelve, becomes the new emperor of Northern Wei.

Legend has it that Attila built a castle on top of a hill north of Aquileia to watch the city burn, thus founding the town of Udine, where the castle can still be found.

Attila returns in 452 to claim his marriage to Honoria anew, invading and ravaging Italy along the way.

The Huns sack several cities, including Aquileia (which they raze completely, leaving no trace of it behind), …

…Patavium (Padua), …

…Verona, …

…Brixia (Brescia), …

…Bergomum (Bergamo), and …

…Mediolanum (Milan).

Aëtius, who lacks the strength to offer battle, has managed to harass and slow Attila's advance with only a shadow force.

Attila finally halts at the River Po.

By this point, disease and starvation may have broken out in Attila's camp, thus helping to stop his invasion.

Famine and pestilence are raging in Italy.

Emperor Valentinian III sends three envoys, the high civilian officers Gennadius Avienus and Trigetius, as well as the Bishop of Rome, Leo I, who meets Attila at Mincio in the vicinity of Mantua, and obtains from him the promise that he would withdraw from Italy and negotiate peace with the Emperor.

Prosper of Aquitaine gives a short description of the historic meeting, but gives all the credit of the successful negotiation to Leo.

Priscus reports that superstitious fear of the fate of Alaric—who died shortly after sacking Rome in 410—gave him pause.

In reality, Italy had suffered from a terrible famine in 451 and her crops are faring little better in 452; Attila's devastating invasion of the plains of northern Italy this year does not improve the harvest.

To advance on Rome would have required supplies which were not available in Italy, and taking the city would not have improved Attila's supply situation.

Therefore, it is more profitable for Attila to conclude peace and retreat back to his homeland.

Secondly, an East Roman force had crossed the Danube under the command of another officer also named Aetius—who had participated in the Council of Chalcedon the previous year—and proceeded to defeat the Huns who had been left behind by Attila to safeguard their home territories.

Attila, hence, faces heavy human and natural pressures to retire.

The Huns, awash in plunder, depart over the Alps.

Emperor Wen is assassinated by Crown Prince Shao and the second prince Jun in 453 after planning to punish them for consorting with witchcraft.

However, they are both defeated by the third prince Jun (spelled with a different character than the aforementioned Jun), who becomes Emperor Xiaowu of Liu of Song.