. A history of mediaeval and modern Europe for secondary schools. From thattime until 919 the land was in a state of practical chaos. Thekings had little control over the stem-dukes, the pettynobles waged ceaseless and pitiless war one upon the other,and the country was terribly harried by the Northmen descend-ing from Scandinavia, and by the still more cruel Magyar 1 Usually in Germany the reigning monarch could use his influence to get hisson elected co-king in his lifetime. On the death of the old king, the young kingwould step into full power. But often there would be no available prince s
. A history of mediaeval and modern Europe for secondary schools. From thattime until 919 the land was in a state of practical chaos. Thekings had little control over the stem-dukes, the pettynobles waged ceaseless and pitiless war one upon the other,and the country was terribly harried by the Northmen descend-ing from Scandinavia, and by the still more cruel Magyar 1 Usually in Germany the reigning monarch could use his influence to get hisson elected co-king in his lifetime. On the death of the old king, the young kingwould step into full power. But often there would be no available prince suit-able or acceptable for election. The nobility were intensely jealous of the growthof royal power. Sometimes a relatively weak and ineffective man would bechosen — that he might not become a really masterful sovereign. THE EMPIRE IN GERMANY AND ITALY 73 hordes, issuing, on their wiry horses, from the plains of Hun-gary, to burn and pillage. Either the country must have a king who could commandthe allegiance of the dukes, could enforce peace upon the nobles. 5° Longitude East from Greenwich 10 THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE IN GERMANY AND ITALY TO 1056 and fling back the invaders, or Germany would relapse into itsprimitive barbarism. Such a king appeared in the person ofHenry the 1 He gained his name from the tradition that he was returning from hawkingwhen the messenger came to announce the tidings of his selection. 74 History of Europe Henry the Fowler was a mature and tried ruler when a largefaction of the princes rallied around him. He was already dukeof the most powerful single stem-duchy, — Saxony, — andhe could command the ready allegiance of Franconia andThuringia. Thus fortified, he was able to coerce successivelySwabia, Bavaria, and Lorraine, either making their dukessubmit themselves loyally, or (in the case of Lorraine) replac-ing the old ruler with one more trustworthy. So some kind oflaw and order was presently restored to the troubled landfrom within, an
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