Western History 62: Who was Otto the Great?

The sons of Louis the Pious (Charlemagne’s heir) warred with their father for much of the 820s and 830s. In 843 the Treaty of Verdun was signed and most of Charlemagne’s vast territory was divided between the sons with Louis the German receiving West, Middle and East Francia.  Various German monarchs following Louis held the title Holy Roman Emperor – a Primus inter pares title (first amongst equals) that often carried more prestige than power.

The most competent of these monarchs was Otto I also known as Otto the Great who ruled as king from 936-972 and was Holy Roman Emperor from 962.  It was Otto, the Duke of Saxony and King of Germany (and founder of the Ottonian dynasty), who defeated the pagan Magyars (Hungarians) at Lechfeld earning himself a title as a Christian savior.

He was crowned at the Old Basilica in Rome and followed in the footsteps of Charlemagne by continuing the literacy and cultural renaissance of the former. He improved relations with the Byzantines and consolidated power in Germany. During Otto’s day the Kingdom of Germany consisted of Saxony, Franconia, Bavaria and Swabia. Although he had conflicts with France, the Danish and Italian kingdoms his years of rule represented a high point in German history and his ability to use the church to further his strength was brilliant in the way that it played into his favour at the expense of the secular nobility.