How climate helped the conquering Hungarians settle in Central Europe

According to climate history research, the climate and natural environment of the Eurasian steppe may also have contributed to the success of the conquering Hungarians in taking possession of the Carpathian Basin.

Climate historian Lajos Rácz spoke to Népszava about how the natural environment can influence the course of human history and what we know about the climatic conditions during the time of the Hungarian conquest.

When nature shapes history

Environmental history is a relatively young field of research that gained real importance in the second half of the twentieth century, when historians increasingly recognised how often nature plays a decisive role in shaping historical events.

According to climate historian Lajos Rácz, one of the fundamental ideas of environmental history is that the natural environment acts as an active participant in the history of humanity.

This approach can also be important in the study of early Hungarian history, as the lives and migrations of the conquering Hungarians were likely strongly influenced by the natural environment of the steppe.

The world of the steppe where the ancestors of the Hungarians lived

As Lajos Rácz explained in his interview, it is worth examining Eurasia from a broader geographical perspective when analysing Hungarian prehistory from a climate history standpoint.

Across Eurasia, a clear north–south natural zone can be observed. Moving southwards from the Arctic Ocean, the tundra appears first, followed by the taiga, the belt of coniferous forests. Further south lie the deciduous forests, then the forest-steppe, and finally the vast grasslands stretching from Mongolia all the way to the Carpathian Basin.

After the Ugrian–Hungarian split, the ancestors of the Hungarians continued to live in this steppe environment. Their economy was based primarily on large-scale animal husbandry, which required constant movement, as communities had to find new grazing lands for their livestock.

Why the Hungarian tribes may have moved westwards

The climate of the steppe is largely shaped by cyclones arriving from the Atlantic Ocean. As these move eastwards, the western regions of the steppe generally receive more precipitation and tend to have more stable climatic conditions and better grazing lands.

This may partly explain why many nomadic peoples throughout history – including the ancestors of the Hungarians – gradually moved westwards, where water resources and higher-quality pastures offered more favourable conditions for a pastoral lifestyle.

For nomadic societies, the availability of water and the condition of grazing lands were crucial. If precipitation was too low and the pastures dried out, livestock could quickly weaken or perish. On the other hand, excessive rainfall could lead to marshy conditions.

“A horse can drink 40–50 litres of water a day. Sheep perhaps half of that, but a herd or flock can consist of hundreds or even thousands of animals. Just imagine how much water that means daily,” Rácz noted.

The conquering Hungarians were also known as formidable warriors. Their armies were largely composed of highly mobile horsemen who were capable of travelling long distances and striking quickly.

The nomadic lifestyle of the steppe, combined with constant riding and herding, made horsemanship a natural skill, which later became a decisive advantage in warfare.

The conquering Hungarians may have been in strong condition

Rácz also pointed out that the climate of the steppe changed significantly several times over the centuries. Around the sixth century, a cooler and wetter period began and may have lasted for a long time, followed later by drier phases.

However, during the ninth century, the period of the Hungarian conquest, the steppe zone appears to have experienced a relatively favourable and somewhat wetter climate again.

For nomadic societies, this was crucial. Horses, sheep and cattle provided food, transport and the mobility of armies. If pastures were in good condition, the animals remained strong, which could also strengthen the military power of the communities.

From a climate history perspective, natural factors such as precipitation, pasture quality and the condition of livestock may therefore also have played an important role in enabling the Hungarian tribes to settle successfully in the Carpathian Basin.

In a previous article, we also explored genetic research suggesting that some conquering Hungarians may have been of Uralic origin.