Part of a series about 20 crucial moments in German Medieval History, some of which are almost forgotten A key moment that rescues the kingship of Otto I without whom the (Holy Roman) Empire might not have come into existence.
Otto I had been crowned king of East Francia in 936. Within just 3 years he has managed to rub everyone in the kingdom up the wrong way. His autocratic style differed sharply from his father’s more cooperative approach to the mighty dules. (2/
Through a sequence of events, which involved condemning his most powerful vassal, the duke Eberhard of Franconia to the shameful punishment of dog-carrying things escalate. His younger brother Henry takes the leadership of the discontented.
In 939 Otto finds himself besieging the impregnable castle of Breisach in the deep southwest whilst his enemies are taking control of the kingdom. His followers disappear and he despairs: “If our time has come, let us die like brave man and not cast a slur about our good name”
Enter stage left Konrad Short’n’Bold. Unsurprisingly a man of short stature, fierce temper, extraordinary bravery and a strong dislike of both women and apples (??). Even more importantly he was one of Otto’s last remaining allies.
Short’n’Bold was a member of the branch of the Konradiner family of Swabia that supported Otto because of the unexplained horrors that had been inflicted on one of their relatives, a man called Gebhard.
Whilst Otto was pointlessly tied up outside Breisach with his ever-dwindling band of supporters, Short’n’Bold and his cousin Udo had their lands around Limburg raided by Eberhard and Gilbert the rebellious dukes of Franconia and Lothringia.
Whilst Otto was pointlessly tied up outside Breisach with his ever-dwindling band of supporters, Short’n’Bold and his cousin Udo had their lands around Limburg raided by Eberhard and Gilbert the rebellious dukes of Franconia and Lothringia.
Sending their soldiers first means the dukes will have to carry the plunder. Going across first means the soldiers going to run away with the plunder. Well, they went for the worst possible option. They sent the soldiers and the plunder across first and sat down for a meal.
Hearing the dukes were barely defended on their shore of the river, Short’n’Bold and his cousin Udo came down – as Luitprand of Cremona said – as if they were flying rather than running. Eberhard, who was a cousin of Short’n’Bold rose to fight but was hacked to pieces.
Gilbert the old schemer jumped on to a boat to make it across the Rhine. The river is running fast across a narrow gap at Andernach, it turned over the boat, and blub, blub, blub down goes the heavily armoured duke of Lothringia.
That changed everything. The manner of their death was seen as an act of God reconfirming Otto’s right to kingship. The nobles who just moments before supported Henry, turned their horses around and rallied to Otto’s banner.
The common people took Otto’s side and threw the archbishop and arch-conspirator Friedrich of Mainz out of his city. Henry fled to his new best mate Louis IV in Paris. Louis quickly understood that the tide has turned and sent Henry back post haste.
That was a very narrow escape. Not just narrow, that was an incredibly lucky escape. By rights he should have already lost the earlier battle of Birten, but prevailed thanks to well either the Holy Lance or some incredibly competent officer with a plan.
When he lay before Breisach, he was on his last leg with nobles leaving him left right and centre. Without that unplanned skirmish at Andernach, Otto’s reign would have ended there and then, and he would be known today as Otto the short-lived rather than as Otto the Great.
There are two more crucial moments before Otto becomes Emperor Otto the Great and founds what would later be called the Holy Roman Empire. If you want to listen or read ahead, check out episode 3
