Final answer:
The Germanic tribes were driven into Western Europe by the Huns. This migration was prompted by the Huns' westward movement, pushing Germanic tribes like the Goths and Visigoths into Roman territory, aiding in the destabilization and fall of the Roman Empire.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Germanic tribes were driven into Western Europe by Central Asian nomads known as the Huns. During the fourth and fifth centuries CE, the Huns, led by Attila, moved westward from central Asia into Europe, exerting pressure on the Germanic tribes and others at the frontiers of the Roman Empire. This caused tribes such as the Goths, the Visigoths, and others to flee into Roman territory, contributing to the empire's destabilization. These significant movements of Germanic peoples occurred as a direct result of the Huns' expansion, and the Hunnic invasions were characterized by their ruthlessness and military might. As a formidable force, the Huns instilled fear in the Germanic tribes, compelling them to migrate and settle in new areas within the Roman Empire, inevitably playing a part in its downfall.