The Magyar People: A Comparative Analysis

In the latter half of the ninth century AD, a tribal confederation from the Asian steppes began a migration into eastern and central Europe. Initially staying on the fringes of Christendom, these peoples soon came head-to-head with the established power of central Europe, the kingdom of the Eastern Franks. In the opening years of the conflict, the Magyars, as they were known (later known as the Hungarians) created a crisis which threatened the survival of the Eastern Frankish kingdom. The magnitude of the Magyar threat the kingdom and Europe as a whole has largely been neglected by modern scholarship. The struggle between the Eastern Franks and the Hungarians can be compared to the Moorish invasion of Iberia in terms of what was at stake; the dismantlement of European civilization. …show more content…
In order to provide a comprehensive analysis, it is imperative to investigate the crisis not solely through a military lens, which is what has generally prevailed in modern scholarship. An examination of the Magyar peoples and their social structures will allow us to draw a stark contrast between them and the civilization of the Eastern Franks. A comprehension of the Hungarians’ military tactics will be used to illustrate their capacity for war. Finally, the policies which the Ottonian dynasty enacted under the reign of Henry I and Otto I will exhibit the monumental effort which Frankish society had to collectively implement in order to survive. Collectively, these factors will demonstrate that the Magyars were the most destructive force to European civilization since the Huns and until the