History of Germany Part-4

A few months later, Heinrich known as Heinrich there fuller or Henry the Fowler after his hobby of falconry was the first native German to be king of Germany beginning the Saxon Tennessee. The threat of the Magyars was an immediate concern of Heinrich upon his rise to power though initially facing the feet against them. He eventually had a stroke of luck defeating the Magyars and taking the son of their leader prisoner in exchange for the Magyar prince's release.

 

He demanded 10 years of peace the brief ceasefire allowed Heinrich the opportunity to continue war with the Slavs trained his infantry and build fortifications around his domain in 932. When the Magyars returned, he defeated them at the Battle of Rita dealing a major blow to them. Heinrich was a great ruler militarily but he never consolidated power politically in a forum about the rule either Germany persisted as a kind of Confederation of semi-autonomous duchies over which he had limited power nevertheless. He had strengthened and protected the nation as a whole. He died 936 AD. His son was elected that year importantly. Heinrich did not divide his domain among his sons despite an opportunity to do so leaving it all intact to his successor.

 

His son Otto would reign for nearly 40 years. In that time, his achievements in building the German nation and the Holy Roman Empire would earn him the title the Great. Otto was ambitious and bold essentially viewing himself as no less than the successor of Charlemagne, his reign was marked naturally early on by conflict with his younger brother and the other German Nobles and furthermore he was involved in the regular Wars with Slavs, Vikings and French however as time went on Otto actually began to break out of  this continuous cycle that caused this disorder.

 

He defeated his rivals and then began to try to transform the structure of the German nation of the time by centering power on the monarchy. He would replace rebellious Dukes and Nobles with those loyal to him commonly relatives and intentionally overruled the authorities of all the others signifying that loyalty to and cooperation with a  monarch was the way forward, he ruled  from horseback often touring his domain  for half the year. He would endeavor to control the church and use it as a means to strengthen his rule by the nine 50s. He had settled many of his domestic troubles and began to expand outward one of his prime interest was Italy where  the widowed queen of northern Italy a  delayed call to Otto for help after Beranger II had usurped her husband's  throne Otto crossed the Alps in 951  where he took the city of jayvee. He would in turn marry Adelaide his second wife this second marriage angered Otto's son from his first wife Leah Dahl especially when she bore him. A son who threatened Leah dog succession outraged, he would rebel against his father in 9:53 alongside other frustrated Nobles the rebellion spiraled out of control and the situation was exacerbated when the Magyars moved into the Varian Leah dog would later become cooperative with the Magyars. It was not long before the  situation began to threaten Otto's reign itself but it would be abruptly ended in  954 partially because so many Nobles  felt that an alliance with the Magyars  was excessive treachery Otto at times a  very merciful ruler forgave his son for all his crimes with the domestic situation finally stable Otto now turned  his attention to the invading Magyars in the spring of 955 war with the Magyar would resume but Otto would defeat them on multiple occasions throughout the year on August 10th the two sides were squaring up for a major battle the  Battle of Lake Phelps Bergen Aversa. Otto had a force of around 8,000 men obtained from across Germany and Bohemia. The Magyars levy had a force around twice the size of this despite this Otto had some favorable factors, the battle was to take place on an airplane between two rivers. The Magyars were not as accustomed to fighting pitched battles. They were horse archers who preferred hit-and-run tactics despite the swarm of arrows that rained down on the German troops there were no match for Otto's heavy cavalry the predecessor of the medieval night, they destroyed the Magyars in his battle dealing a fatal blow to them. Following this, the Magyars gave up on the rating of Western Europe altogether that same year Otto would lead his forces to victory against the invading Slavs and pushed further into their territory his victories over the foreign pagan invaders led to many viewing him as the savior of Christendom things were beginning to go smoothly for him when and 9:58 trouble and Italy returned with Beranger Otto intervened and by 962. He had taken much of northern Italy for himself effectively conjoining northern Italy and Germany that year the Pope would bestow upon him. The same title which had been given to Charlemagne emperor of Rome thus as a result of this, what would later be called the Holy Roman Empire began or continues.

 

It is debated but regardless this was the beginning of a new age for the kings of Germany as the first Reich with Otto as the first German to hold the title. His empire throughout the centuries would be regarded not as an empire but as the Empire not a state within Christendom but the true Christian state almost immediately however conflicts between a pope and Emperor began and Otto had JA the 12th deposed and replaced this would temporarily help things but Otto would  struggle with the papacy and Italy for  the rest of his life and would even have to ruling from Rome at certain points to stabilize things. Italy however would  sell them in the Empire's history be  happy under the rule of the Tautens and  would always be distant to try to ease relations with the Byzantines who were  again jealous of the title of emperor of  Rome which he had taken Otto's youngest  and sole surviving son and heir also named. Otto at this time 16 would marry a  Byzantine princess they'll follow the  Emperor's niece who was at this time 12  Otto would died the following year and  973 Otto II became king immediately thereafter his position secured even  before his father's death as the nobles  elected him. King with Otto the first breathing down their necks much of his reign was marked by domestic conflict which arose without his father there as well as war with the Danes French Arab Slavs and Byzantines but when he died suddenly at the age of 28 from malaria. His young son who would be Otto 3rd was elected and crowned despite the issues facing the Empire and an attempted usurpation. The crown would successfully pass through out of the 3rd when he was of age in 994 out of the third though Young was exceptionally bright and he envisioned himself as the true ruler of Christendom the one who would truly revive the Roman Empire in January of  1002.