First Kingdom: Samo, the Wends, and the Birth of the Slavic World

In the early seventh century, the Slavic peoples of Central Europe had no kings, no written laws, no armies, and no political voice. They were subjects of the Avar Khaganate — farming its fields, fighting its wars as expendable shock troops, and watching in silence as Avar warriors wintered in their homes. Then, around 623 CE, a Frankish merchant named Samo crossed the eastern frontier with a load...