The Visigoths acquire Narbonensis by 478.

Kievan Rus', as it was undergoing fragmentation, had faced its greatest threat from invading Mongols.

In 1223 an army from Kievan Rus', together with a force of Turkic Polovtsians, had faced a Mongol raiding party at the Kalka River.

The Kievan alliance was defeated soundly.

Then, in 1237-38, a much larger Mongol force had overrun much of Kievan Rus'.

In 1240 the Mongols had sacked the city of Kiev, then moved west into Poland and Hungary.

Of the principalities of Kievan Rus', only the Republic of Novgorod had escaped occupation, but it pays tribute to the Mongols.

One branch of the Mongol force had withdrawn to Saray on the lower Volga River, establishing the Golden Horde.

From Saray the Golden Horde Mongols rules Kievan Rus' indirectly through their princes and tax collectors.

The impact of the Mongol invasion on the territories of Kievan Rus' is uneven.

Centers such as Kiev never recover from the devastation of the initial attack.

The Republic of Novgorod continues to prosper, however, and a new entity, the city of Moscow, begins o flourish under the Mongols.

Although a Russian army defeats the Golden Horde at Kulikovo in 1380, Mongol domination of the Russian-inhabited territories, along with demands of tribute from Russian princes, will continue until about 1480.

Mamai, having concluded negotiations with Prince Jogaila of Lithuania and Russian prince Oleg of Ryazan, a fierce enemy to Dmitri, sets his camp on the shore of Don, waiting for the forces of his allies to arrive.

Dmitri, aware of the approaching armies of Lithuania and Ryazan, decides to attack Mamai immediately before he can be reinforced, and on the evening September 7, 1380, leads Russian forces across the Don.

At the lifting of thick fog around 11 AM, the armies battle for three hours.

The outnumbered Russian forces prevail, although suffering great casualties in holding off the Horde's attack.

The cavalry of Vladimir, Prince of Serpukhov (Dmitri's cousin), led by Dmitri Bobrok, Prince of Volynia, launches a flanking surprise counter-strike and achieves victory over the Horde forces.

Although this victory does not end the Tatar domination over Russia, it enhances the prestige of the grand duke of Moscow in the eyes of the other Russian rulers and has finally broken the age-long tradition of submission to the Khanate of the Blue Horde.

Despite Mamai's loss to Dmitri of Muscovy in 1380 and two subsequent failed attacks by Tokhtamysh, he continues to rule until his assassination in this year in Kaffa (Crimea) by the Genoese, who cannot forgive the total waste of a military unit of Genoese crossbowmen who had been slaughtered by the Russians at Kulikovo.

Tokhtamysh dreams of emulating his ancestors and makes plans to reunite the Ulus Jochi.

In 1380, he invades the Blue Horde by fording across the Volga and quickly annihilates an army sent by Muscovy.

The assassination of Mamai shortly after the Battle of Kulikovo makes Tokhtamysh's victory over the horde all the more easier.