And Now we Present a New Feature

At Rising Hegemon.

We like to present historical items that make you laugh, make you cry, but most of all make you think. Well one out of three actually.

With that in mind, we present one of our new regular features that Attaturk will use as a regular crutch when the comedy is not coming so easily. A feature that were it on the History Channel would surely be its lowest rated show...

FAMOUS GERMAN BADASSES, WHO WERE NOT NAZIS!

Today we present Otto I with some assistance from here:


912-973

Good old Otto was your prototypical teutonic strongman, who regularly put down insurrections from various mambers of his family; repeatedly invaded slavic nations; traded insults with the Byzantines and repeatedly defeated opposition in Italy by installing and deposing Popes.

On the most famous occasion Otto put down a rebellion against his throne, marched into Italy and in retaliation for the then Pope John's entering into treasonable relations with the emperor's enemies (the modern version is "With Us or Against Us"); forced the Romans to take an oath never to elect a pope without his own or his son's approval. John was deposed and a layman, Leo VIII, placed upon the papal throne. Rome, again rebelled, the exiled pope, John, forced his supplanter to flee.

John died in 964, and the Romans elected a new pope, Benedict V. The emperor energetically restored order and Leo was reinstated in his position. It was already apparent that Otto really controlled the papacy which occupied the position of a mere trinket. The Ottonian system was of the greatest significance to Germany in her position towards the secular powers. How greatly the German King was strengthened through the close alliance between Church and State and how it enhanced the prestige of the empire, is evident from the progress that Teutonism and Christianity were making in Slav territory. Otto chose Magdeburg, for which he had a special attachment (good whores?), as the local centre of this new civilization (again, good whores?), and raised it to an archbishopric (good whores).

Recurring disorders now recalled him to Rome. The pope whom he had chosen, John XIII, found antagonists in the Roman nobility. The emperor performed his duties as protector of the Church with stern justice and punished the turbulent nobles. John XIII then crowned his son, Otto, emperor. As a logical consequence of his imperial policy, he now openly avowed his intention of acquiring Lower Italy. His supremacy would be absolutely safeguarded if he succeeded in gaining possession of the southern part of the peninsula. Otto, however, finally abandoned the war in the south. His son's prospect of obtaining a Byzantine princess for his bride turned the scale against it. The old German axiom of legitimacy, which was once more honoured in this marriage, was destined later on to revenge itself bitterly.

Somewhat interesting, but no video footage.