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The Vikings of the East: Hungarian invasions after the Hungarian Conquest
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Hungarians were once one of the most feared people in Europe; their invasions were similar to that of the Vikings’, not only because they happened around the same time but also because they were just as fierce and fearful warriors as the Northmen.
Even before the completion of the Hungarian Conquest in 899, the Hungarians participated in several military invasions mostly in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe. However, the most aggressive adventures that made them dreaded across the whole of Europe took place after the Hungarian Conquest. History knows about 50 invasions between the years 862 and 970, mostly targeting the West and later the Byzantine East.
The exact scope of these invasions is uncertain still, as chroniclers all had a different view of Hungarians: the ravaged enemies wrote them off as menacing barbarians who arrived only to loot and destroy without a tactical goal, while the chronicles of their allies draw a picture of them as an expert army. It is most likely that they conducted these raids to help their allies (or they were hired as mercenaries) and at the same time
to strengthen their rule in the Carpathian Basin, eliminating serious threats represented by Western Catholic rulers.
The army’s strength lied in their impeccable horse-riding and archery skills: what made this body of extremely strong warriors feared was not only their bravery but their expertise with a bow and arrow: some sources claim that they had 95% accuracy while riding.
photo: WikiCommons
Since Hungarian riders and warriors practically grew up on horseback and were trained from a very early age, their agility and stamina were high enough to endure long rides and battles; it took a lot to tire them out.
At the same time, since they relied so much on horses, territories without plain meadows presented a setback for them. Infantry and walking on foot was a challenge they tried to avoid.
Because of this, Leo the Wise wrote in his 904 treatise, Tactics, that they steered clear from hand-to-hand close combat. Just like the Hussars centuries later, the Hungarian ancestors used small groups to simulate retreat and then lure enemies into a trap.
Even though some might think that the Hungarians were an unorganised body of brutes and barbarians, not having adequate military equipment, warriors wore armours and were armed with sabres, pennons and bows – the best ones to be used while on horseback.
Hungarians reached Saxony and the Atlantic Sea which meant that sometimes they had to cross hundreds and thousands of kilometres to reach their destinations.
This not only questions looting but is proof of the exceptional military and organising skills of the Hungarian generals.
The tactical brilliance of their “Unknown Commander” , along with the rigid discipline needed to not only mount these campaigns but to conduct the feigned retreat tactics molded the Magyar forces into such a fearsome weapon. Military operations extending over hundreds of miles while safely returning home indicates excellent reconnaissance and strategy, making them more than just raids.