[gothic-l] Book review I

[bertil]

_The Role of Migration in the History of the
Eurasian Steppe - Sedentary Civilization vs. -
'Barbarian' and Nomad, (ed. Andrew Bell-Fialkoff),
London: Macmillan, 2000, 355 pp.
__________________________________________________

This book covers several thousan years of migration
history. So not all is of interest to the Gothic list
participants. Bell-Fialkoff in the forword confesses
to a great interest in migrations starting as early
as in school.

China and Europe had different solutions to the
nomad threat. China preferred 'containment' while
Europe "chose" expansion. In the interaction migration
played an important role. From two population centers
in the East and the West two powerful population
streams met in the Eurasian Steppe. The confrontation
had an important impact on Eurasian history - existing
states were destroyed, new ones created, and the balance
of power changed. The present situation after the end
of the Cold War will probably prove to be a new cycle
in this age-old contest.

Chapter 7 of the book deals with Early Germanic Migrations.
According to the editor the separation of eastern and
western Germans occurred no later than 400 BC. By this time
they had established themselves in northern Germany,
northeast Netherlands, and northern and western Poland.

Around 250 BC the Germanic peoples met the Celts, who
were moving back from the south and not soonm after
the Celts began to loose territory, Som Germanic
confederations expanded into Saxony and Thuringia. Others
moved into Central Germany. The Celts sought refuge
on the other side of the Rhine.

These hostilities slowed down the Germanic advance
between around 500 and 200 BC and the Celts were
deflected west.

Around 120 BC the Cimbri, Teutoni and Ambroni reached
the then northern parts of the Roman empire. It showed
that the Germanic peoples could cover vast distances,
it could last many years and the Germanic peoples
combined with non-Germanic peoples. It took great effort
and cost to contain them but on the other hand it forced
the Roman empire to strengthen its military, which
was useful for later growth under the emperors.

To be continued

Migrationally

Bertil

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