* Flag of the Holy Roman Empire
In the 10th century, at the critical time of the formation of the German state, a great figure came into being, the famous Otto I.
His father, Henry I, passed it on that he learned that he was hunting birds when he was elected duke, so he was nicknamed "Bird Catcher". Henry I refused to perform the anointing ceremony and any religious ceremonies such as this at the time of his coronation. Thus, in a religious sense, Henry was not a legitimate king. Hence another nickname of Henry I was the "Sword without a Handle".
* Bird catcher, Henry I
In 936, the "bird catcher" died, and Otto succeeded his father as Duke of Saxony, and in the same year he was elected King of Germany. His life's work was integrated into his successive southern conquests and northern wars. His martial arts can be divided into three main parts: quelling the rebellions of the principalities within Germany and consolidating the German state; defeating the invasion of the Magyars of Eastern Europe and expanding the empire eastward; invading Italy, manipulating the pope, and crowning him emperor.
Consolidation of the German state
German expansion into Eastern Europe broke through during the Otto period, and in 950 the Duke of Bohemia paid tribute to Otto. But Otto faced a major problem in Eastern Europe that had long plagued the Germans— the fierce barbarian Magyars, who invaded in 954 and led a combined German and Bohemian army in 955 at the Battle of Lesiefeld, almost completely annihilating the Magyar cavalry and thus relieving the Magyars of the threat. In the era of cold weapons, any army that has entered the civilized society can defeat the barbarian army is a great event, and Otto's prestige in life comes mainly from this victory, and he is revered as "great Otto" and "father of the motherland".
Quell the rebellion
In 939, the Dukes of Franco and Lorraine joined forces to wage war against the King, and Otto defeated them with the support of the Duke of Swabia. Otto placed most of the Frankish and Lorraine territories under his direct control and appointed his son-in-law duke of Lorraine. After the death of the Duke of Swabia, he appointed his own son Rudolf as Duke of Swabia. Thus, within a few years of his reign, Otto controlled most of Germany: Saxony and Franconia came under the king's own rule, and Bavaria, Swabia, and Lorraine were ruled by the king's brother, son, and son-in-law, respectively.
In 953, Otto's son and son-in-law, dissatisfied with the distribution of power in Italy, joined forces with the Archbishop of Mainz against the king. Otto took advantage of the German nobility's fear of a Magyar invasion to unite them under his banner, quickly defeated the rebels, and in 954 convened an imperial conference to redistribute land and place the principalities under the control of people he trusted, and Otto's authority was never challenged in Germany.
Invasion of Italy
Another of Otto's most historically influential actions was his invasion of Italy, which thus inaugurated a tradition in which every effective German king would march into Italy and be crowned emperor in Italy. Otto's Italian policy stemmed more from his thirst for power, fame, and wealth, but also from the fact that the German and Italian nation-states had not yet formed, and many believed that Italy belonged to a part of the property of the German king, who was also the Holy Roman Emperor.
In 961, in an effort to free himself from the control of the Aristocrats of the Italian cities, Pope John XII appealed to Otto for help. Otto led his army across the Alps and quickly quelled the Rebellion in Rome, annexing the Lombard states and straightening out the Pope's throne. On February 2, 962, Pope John XII crowned Otto at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and Otto became Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. 11 days later, the Emperor and the Pope signed the "Otto Privilege Agreement", stipulating that the Emperor was the Protector of the Pope, that the Pope should be loyal to the Emperor, and that the birth of the Pope would be decided by the Emperor. Otto initially placed imperial power above the ecclesiastical power. Later, in order to maintain his control over the Pope, he marched into Rome twice. Otto also marched into southern Italy, challenging Byzantium, though unsuccessful, but gaining Byzantine recognition of his status.
* Coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire
The exploits of Otto the Great
Although Otto and Charlemagne have many similarities, he established a much smaller state than Charlemagne, and his lack of merit in legislation and literature, so his historical influence is inferior to Charlemagne's. In addition, Otto set a precedent for German military expansion, and the invasion of Italy created a tradition: almost every powerful German king had to march into Italy and crown himself emperor there, which brought great disaster to the German and Italian peoples. Many believe this is because the German kings, who were also Holy Roman Emperors, considered Italy to be their turf. In terms of internal affairs, Otto's most influential decree was the proclamation of the diocese as a caiyi, with bishops enjoying all the rights of the world like feudal lords.
In order to maintain the empire's long-term rule over the newly conquered Slavs in the east, Otto, in addition to killing the Slavs, established bishoprics such as Oldenburg, Meissen, and Merseburg in these places, and ruled with the help of religious forces, which greatly promoted the Christianization process of the Slavs.
Evaluation of the Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was Otto's masterpiece, but the foundations of the country were not solid, the central government was weak, and the lords of the country still went their own way. The empire lacked a strict system of succession to the throne, and after the death of the emperor, various lords competed for the throne, resulting in the organization and discipline of the country, political turmoil, and the people's livelihood. The emperor who came to power must be like the newly out of the nest, either defeating the other lords or winning the support of the majority of the lords, who are always the bombs placed on the emperor's side. The unification of the Holy Roman Empire was only a superficial phenomenon, but in fact it was only a CIS-like country. As Voltaire said of it: "Neither holy nor Roman, nor imperial." ”
For more documentaries about Otto the Great, see the first episode of the first season of the Germans, watched by the encyclopedia full film