Huns and Avars

[stockwellpete]

Huns are not "drilled" at all but the Avars are. Why? Shouldn't they be classified the same as each other (i.e. "drilled")?

[TheGrayMouser]

Huns are not "drilled" at all but the Avars are. Why? Shouldn't they be classified the same as each other (i.e. "drilled")?

Evolution of course:) The Huns came ist, the Avars came after and said "we can do better" and , uhh, drilled themselves.

[stockwellpete]

Huns are not "drilled" at all but the Avars are. Why? Shouldn't they be classified the same as each other (i.e. "drilled")?

Evolution of course:) The Huns came ist, the Avars came after and said "we can do better" and , uhh, drilled themselves.

Very helpful. I think the Huns were a bit more successful than the Avars on the battlefield really even though the Avars were able to build their own state in Pannonia that lasted into the 9th century. I may be wrong but I don't think there would have been too much difference in the way the Huns and Avars approached the waging of war. Certainly, in terms of FOG, horse archers need quite a bit of space to be effective and making the Huns "drilled" too would make them a tougher proposition to defeat.

[ericdoman1]

Always wondered about that. Once more it's all down to the victor writes the history, not too much is known about Hunnic tactics with reference to them being well trained. If Attilla had won at Chalons, well we would have had an earlier Dark Ages I think. Although who knows he (if he had won and lived), may well have looked to the east to expand his empire.

The Romans included Huns/Alans into their armies at the end of the Western Empire and I am guessing that is when they became drilled.

The Avars became drilled due to the Byzantines/Eastern Roman Empire, I believe. Probably meant the Byzantines were a better force originally.

[stockwellpete]

The Romans included Huns/Alans into their armies at the end of the Western Empire and I am guessing that is when they became drilled.

The Avars became drilled due to the Byzantines/Eastern Roman Empire, I believe. Probably meant the Byzantines were a better force originally.

I am not sure about this, Eric. If what we mean by "drilled" is that soldiers operated in a disciplined way on the battlefield then I think it is quite reasonable to suggest the Huns were "drilled" in their own terms before they even had encountered the Romans (i.e. they had developed their own style of fighting and conducted it in a very disciplined way). I think the same was probably true of the Avars.