Battle of Lechfeld (910)

First Battle of Lechfeld
Part of the Hungarian invasions of Europe
Date 12 June 910 Location Lechfeld plain, near Augsburg, Bavaria Result Hungarian victory
Belligerents
East Francia, Swabia	Principality of Hungary
Commanders and leaders
Louis the Child (nominal commander) Count Gozbert of Alamannia (de facto commander) † Managolt, count of Alemannia †	Unknown Hungarian commander
Strength
Unknown	5,000–7,000
Casualties and losses
Heavy, among them Gozbert and Managolt	Light

The first Battle of Lechfeld (the first Battle of Augsburg in Hungarian historiography^[1]), fought on 12 June 910, was an important victory by a Hungarian army over the combined forces of East Francia and Swabia (Alamannia) under the nominal command of Louis the Child.^[2][1] Located approximately 25 km (15.53 mi) south of Augsburg, the Lechfeld is the floodplain that lies along the river Lech. At this time the Grand Prince of the Hungarians was Zoltán, but there is no record of him taking part in the battle. After the battle, the victorious Hungarians broke into Franconia for the first time.^[1] On 22 June in Franconia, the same Hungarian army defeated a united army of the duchies of Franconia, Lotharingia and Bavaria in the Battle of Rednitz.^[1] The Bavarian, Frankish, Swabian and Saxonian duchies became taxpayers of the Hungarians.^[1] As consequence of this victory, in the next year, Hungarian attacks launched from the Carpathian Basin crossed the Rhine for the first time in 911.^[1]

The battle is an example of successful use of the feigned retreat tactic, usually carried out by nomadic warriors, and highlighting the effective use of psychological warfare.