Battle of Soissons (486)

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Battle of the Soissons

Date	486
Location	near Soissons
Result	Frankish victory

Belligerents

Commanders

v • d • e Campaigns of Clovis I

Soissons – Frankish-Thuringian – Tolbiac – Dijon – Vouillé

The Battle of Soissons in the year 486 was a milestone for the Franks (under Clovis I) in their attempt to establish themselves as a major power.^{[citation needed]} It was fought between the Franks and the remains of the Western Roman Empire^{[citation needed]} (the inaccurately named Kingdom of Soissons), under Syagrius.

After the disoder in the Roman Empire followed year 476, Syagrius was the only remaining representative of former Roman rule in the area between the Loire and the Somme.^{[citation needed]}

The central location of Soissons in Gaul and its largely intact infrastructure allowed a level of stability in the years of the Völkerwanderung, but also made the area tempting for the Frankish neighbours to the North.

The realm of Syagrius was of almost the same size as the Frankish one,^{[citation needed]} though the Frankish one was subdivided into small kingdoms, and on the right bank of the Rhine, untouched by Roman culture. Nevertheless, Clovis I managed to unite the Franks,^{[citation needed]} and to motivate them to strike a decisive blow against Syagrius.

The ensuing battle was a major success for the Franks with the Roman army effectively destroyed.^{[citation needed]} Syagrius succeeded to flee into exile to the Visigoths (under Alaric II), but was due to pressure of threats handed over to Clovis, and was executed.

Consequently the realm of the Franks almost doubled in size,^{[citation needed]} its border was now on the Loire adjacent to the realm of the Visigoths, who were finally routed at the Battle of Vouillé in 507 and forced to retreat south of the Pyrenées.