<P> To the east , Bulgaria was established in 681 and became the first Slavic country . The powerful Bulgarian Empire was the main rival of Byzantium for control of the Balkans for centuries and from the 9th century became the cultural centre of Slavic Europe . The Empire created the Cyrillic script during the 10th century AD , at the Preslav Literary School . Two states , Great Moravia and Kievan Rus ' , emerged among the Slavic peoples respectively in the 9th century . In the late 9th and 10th centuries , northern and western Europe felt the burgeoning power and influence of the Vikings who raided , traded , conquered and settled swiftly and efficiently with their advanced seagoing vessels such as the longships . The Hungarians pillaged mainland Europe , the Pechenegs raided Bulgaria , Rus States and the Arab states . In the 10th century independent kingdoms were established in Central Europe including Poland and the newly settled Kingdom of Hungary . The kingdoms of Croatia and Serbia also appeared in the Balkans . The subsequent period , ending around 1000 , saw the further growth of feudalism , which weakened the Holy Roman Empire . </P>
<P> To the east , Bulgaria was established in 681 and became the first Slavic country . The powerful Bulgarian Empire was the main rival of Byzantium for control of the Balkans for centuries and from the 9th century became the cultural centre of Slavic Europe . The Empire created the Cyrillic script during the 10th century AD , at the Preslav Literary School . Two states , Great Moravia and Kievan Rus ' , emerged among the Slavic peoples respectively in the 9th century . In the late 9th and 10th centuries , northern and western Europe felt the burgeoning power and influence of the Vikings who raided , traded , conquered and settled swiftly and efficiently with their advanced seagoing vessels such as the longships . The Hungarians pillaged mainland Europe , the Pechenegs raided Bulgaria , Rus States and the Arab states . In the 10th century independent kingdoms were established in Central Europe including Poland and the newly settled Kingdom of Hungary . The kingdoms of Croatia and Serbia also appeared in the Balkans . The subsequent period , ending around 1000 , saw the further growth of feudalism , which weakened the Holy Roman Empire . </P>
when did the vikings first invade europes mainland
when did the vikings first invade europes mainland
In the late 9th and 10th centuries
In the late 9th and 10th centuries