Editing Migration Period (section)

=== First wave ===
{{further|Roman Iron Age (Northern Europe)}}
{{See also|Ostrogoths|Visigoths|Burgundians|Alans|Lombards|Angles (tribe)|Saxons|Jutes|Suebi|Alemanni|Gepids|Vandals|Huns}}
[[File:Bracteate from Funen, Denmark (DR BR42).jpg|thumb|upright|A Migration Period Germanic gold [[bracteate]] depicting a bird, horse, and stylized human head with a [[Suebian knot]]]]

The first wave of invasions, between AD&nbsp;300 and 500, is partly documented by Greek and Latin historians but is difficult to verify archaeologically. It puts Germanic peoples in control of most areas of what was then the [[Western Roman Empire]].{{sfn|Halsall|2006a|p=51}}

The [[Thervingi|Tervingi]] crossed the [[Danube]] into Roman territory in 376, in a migration fleeing the invading [[Huns]]. Some time later in [[Marcianopolis]], the escort to their leader [[Fritigern]] was killed while meeting with Roman commander [[Lupicinus (comes per Thracias)|Lupicinus]].{{Sfn |Wolfram|2001|pp=127ff.}} The Tervingi rebelled, and the Visigoths, a group derived either from the Tervingi or from a fusion of mainly [[Goths|Gothic]] groups, eventually invaded Italy and [[Sack of Rome (410)|sacked Rome in 410]] before settling in Gaul. Around 460, they founded the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] in Iberia. They were followed into Roman territory first by a confederation of [[Heruli]]an, [[Rugii|Rugian]], and [[Sciri|Scirian]] warriors under [[Odoacer]], that deposed [[Romulus Augustulus]] in 476, and later by the [[Ostrogoths]], led by [[Theodoric the Great]], who settled in Italy. 

In [[Gaul]], the Franks (a fusion of western [[List of ancient Germanic peoples|Germanic tribes]] whose leaders had been aligned with Rome since the 3rd century) entered Roman lands gradually during the 5th century, and after consolidating power under [[Childeric I|Childeric]] and his son [[Clovis I|Clovis's]] decisive victory over [[Syagrius]] in 486, established themselves as rulers of northern Roman Gaul. Fending off challenges from the Alemanni, Burgundians, and Visigoths, the [[Francia|Frankish kingdom]] became the nucleus of what would later become France and Germany. 

The initial [[Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain]] occurred during the 5th century, when [[Roman Britain|Roman control of Britain]] had come to an end.{{Sfn|Dumville|1990}} The Burgundians settled in northwestern Italy, Switzerland and Eastern France in the 5th century.