Campaign against the Avar Ring
796 CE · Avar khagan's court in Pannonia (central modern Hungary) · World · Medieval
The Frankish army stormed the core ring fortress of the Avar court, seizing vast treasure amassed from generations of plunder.
Belligerents
Frankish Kingdom
- Commanders
- Pepin (son of Charlemagne)
- Strength
- Frankish army
Avar Khaganate
- Commanders
- Unknown
- Strength
- Khagan's court garrison
Background
With the Avar Khaganate weakened by internal strife, Charlemagne sent his son Pepin to seize the moment and campaign east against the khagan's court in Pannonia.
Course of the battle
- Eastward expansionPepin led his army east from northern Italy onto the Pannonian plain.
- Ring breachedThe Frankish army broke through multiple rings of fortifications and reached the heart of the khagan's court.
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 796 CE |
|---|---|
| Place | The Avar khagan's court in Pannonia (present-day central Hungary) |
| Result | The Frankish army stormed the core ring fortress of the Avar court, seizing vast treasure amassed from generations of plunder. |
| Winner | Frankish Kingdom |
| Casualties | The Avar defenders were killed, wounded or scattered, and the heart of the khagan's court fell. |
| Territorial change | Frankish territory expanded east to the Middle Danube, and the Avar Khaganate never recovered. |
Impact
The Avar Khaganate vanished a few years later, and the Frankish Empire's treasury was for a time filled with this wealth.
See the world in 796 on the map →