Page 76 - All About History - Issue 26-15

Greatest Battles

01 Attila and his troops
withdraw to his circle
Romans SeeingthearrivaloftheRoman/Visigothalliance,
Attilaordershistroopstoreturntothecountryside,
TROOPS 50-80,000 settingcampnearthetownofChalons.Here,he
remainsinactiveinhiswagoncircle;allthewhile
Aetius and his forces wait in battle formation.

02 ATTIL
ATTACKS

Attila attacks
the centre wi 09
Huns, where
has intention 06
AETIUS placed the we
LEADER part of his tro
A warrior and politician, Aetius was 05
hugely popular, referred to as the theAlantribe
‘last of the Romans’.
Strengths Tactically savvy and a resulting cava
strong warrior. charge pushe
Weakness Outnumbered by the
Hun forces. Alans, led by 04
Sangiban (wh
had previousl
triedtonegot
asurrender
with the Hun
while Orlean
was under FOR MORE GREAT BA
siege) back,
with Attila
VISIGOTH CAVALRY following on
KEY UNIT in pursuit. ISSUE 16 ON SALE NOW
A vital component of the Roman
alliance, they would prove to be
decisive in the battle ahead.
Strengths Strong and difficult to
cut down.
Weakness Could easily trample
their own men. 03 Aetius The Visigoth 5 THEODORIC
counter-attacks 04 strike
HASTA Aetius had kept the bulk With the battle continuing well IS KILLED
KEY WEAPON of his strength on the into the night, the fighting
flanks – commanding his
A cross between a becomes increasingly desperate.
Roman troops on the left, Tragedy strikes for the
lance and a spear,
with Theodoric leading the Having initially been held up by
the hasta was just Visigoths. During the assault,
Visigoths on the right. After strong resistance from the Huns,
one of the weapons
Attila’s initial assault, the
employed by the the Visigoths assault the flanks. Theodoric is de-horsed,
Romans press the attack,
Roman soldiers. Combined with the Roman assault,
attempting to prevent Attila
Strengths Useful for this turns the tide of the battle in before being trampled and
from retreating back to his
fending off assaults
wagons. Despite assaulting Aetius’s favour, with the Huns being killed by his own men. This
by cavalry.
Attila’s forces, they lack pressed on both flanks and hemmed
Weakness Could
the numbers to fully was a blow for Aetius, with
be unwieldy in close- in, and denied the space that they
overwhelm the Huns.
quarters combat. need to fight. his strongest ally dead.
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