The seeds of the Hunnic Empire's destruction were sown immediately after Attila's death. Attila died suddenly in 453 AD, reportedly on his wedding night after heavy drinking and a severe nosebleed, though the exact cause is still debated. His sons, Ellac, Dengizich, and Ernak, quarrelled over the division of the subject peoples as if they were family estate. This arrogance incited the Germanic tribes, who had served loyally under Attila, to revolt for their independence.
Ardaric, king of the Gepids and a former trusted advisor to Attila, led the uprising. He was joined by the Ostrogoths under Theodemir and other tribes. In 454 AD, the opposing forces met at the Nedao River in Pannonia. The Huns, suffering from internal division and facing a unified Germanic heavy infantry and cavalry, were decisively defeated. Ellac was killed, and the surviving Huns fled east across the Carpathians.
The defeat at Nedao marked the end of Hunnic dominance in Europe. Subsequent attempts by Attila's remaining sons to reassert control failed, and by 469 AD, with the death of Dengizich, the Hunnic political entity had effectively ceased to exist. The Pannonian Basin was taken over by the Gepids and Ostrogoths, reshaping the map of Europe.