Otto II's raid on Poland

Last updated

This is the 979 German-Polish War. For a list of all Polish-German Wars, see Polish-German Wars.

Contents

Otto II's raid on Poland (979)
Part of German–Polish War
Otto II (HRE).jpg
Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor
Date979 - Summer 980
Location
Poznań, Greater Poland
Result Polish victory
Belligerents
POL Przemysl II 1295 COA.svg Civitas Schinesghe Shield and Coat of Arms of the Holy Roman Emperor (c.1200-c.1300).svg Holy Roman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Mieszko I Otto II
Strength
unknown unknown

Otto II's raid on Poland was a military expedition against Civitas Schinesghe the state of Mieszko I after Mieszko I supported the rebellious prince Henry the Quarrelsome during the civil war in Germany following the death of Emperor Otto I the Great. The invasion ended in defeat for the Holy Roman Empire, as Otto II could not achieve any military success which forced him to return to Germany.

Background

The initial ruler of the Piast state, Mieszko I, historically regarded as a loyal ally and even a friend of Emperor Otto I the Great, saw a sudden rift in relations in 972. This rupture occurred when Margrave Odo, an administrator of the German frontier, independently invaded Piast territories. [1]

In response, Mieszko engaged Odo's forces at the Battle of Cedynia in 972 and emerged victorious. Despite its minor scale, the clash caught the attention of the emperor. Mieszko faced condemnation for spilling the blood of German knights, prompting Otto I to demand a punitive measure. He ordered Mieszko's six-year-old son and heir, Bolesław, to be sent to the imperial court as a hostage.

Mieszko I's warriors Mieszko I's warriors.jpg
Mieszko I's warriors
''Civitas Shinesghe'', the state of Mieszko I Grody w okresie Mieszka I.png
''Civitas Shinesghe'', the state of Mieszko I

Though Mieszko complied initially, Bolesław's stay in Germany was brief. Upon the emperor's death in 973, Mieszko seized the opportunity to secure his release, leveraging chaos in Germany. Subsequently, Mieszko became entangled in a German civil war, supporting a rebellious duke against the rightful heir, Otto II.

Following the quashing of the rebellion, Otto II sought to assert his authority. He imprisoned Henry of Bavaria, the rebellion's leader, and initiated punitive measures against his allies. Additionally, Otto II launched military campaigns against the Bohemians, who had supported the rebellion. [2] [3]

In the midst of these events, Mieszko's Christian wife, Dobrawa, passed away in 977, severing ties between the Piasts and the Bohemians. This allowed Mieszko to pursue alliances with German nobles, aiming to reconcile with the emperor. [4]

Meanwhile, King Lothair of France unexpectedly allied with the Piasts, further complicating Otto II's situation. Lothair's invasion of Aachen, a significant fortress, diverted German attention from Mieszko's actions. [5] [3]

Raid

As Otto II prepared to march east in 979, Mieszko fortified his positions in Greater Poland, notably strengthening the fortress of Poznań. [5] [6]

The subsequent conflict between Otto II and Mieszko remains shrouded in mystery, but it set the stage for future confrontations between the German and Polish rulers. Ultimately, faced with logistical challenges and diminishing morale, Otto II retreated from Greater Poland without achieving decisive victory. The conflict forced Otto II to recognize Mieszko's strengthened position and seek a peace agreement, albeit indirectly and without admitting defeat. [5]

Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor Kaisersaal Frankfurt am Main, Nr. 10 - Otto II., (Adolf Friedrich Teichs).png
Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor

Aftermath

The Polish-German agreement was concluded in the spring or possibly summer of 980, [7] because in November of that year Otto II left his country and went to Italy. It appears that during this time Mieszko I married Oda, daughter of Dietrich of Haldensleben, Margrave of the Northern March, after abducting her from the monastery of Kalbe. [8] Chronicler Thietmar described the event as follows:

When Bolesław's mother died his father married, without permission from the Church, a nun from the monastery in Kalbe, daughter of Margrave Dietrich. Oda was her name and her guilt was great. For she scorned her vows to God, and gave preference to the man of war before him (...). But because of the concern for the well-being of the homeland and the necessity to secure its peace, the event caused no break of relations, instead a proper way was found to restore concord. For thanks to Oda the legion of followers of Christ became augmented, many prisoners returned to their country, the shackled had their chains taken off, and the gates of prisons were opened for the trespassers.

— Thietmari chronicon, vol. IV cap. 57

Although Thietmar made no mention of warfare that possibly took place on this occasion, the information on the return of the accord, acting for the good of the country and release of prisoners indicate that a conflict actually did occur. [9]

Visualization of Poznan at the end of the 10th century Visualization of Poznan at the end of the 10th century.jpg
Visualization of Poznań at the end of the 10th century

Archeology

Archaeological discoveries appear to support the thesis of Otto II's invasion. In the last quarter of the 10th century there had been a radical expansion of the fortifications at Gniezno and Ostrów Lednicki, which may be associated with the Polish-German war, or the expectation of such. [10] The duration of the expedition suggests that it may have reached as far east as the vicinity of Poznań. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doubravka of Bohemia</span> 10th-century Bohemian princess and Duchess consort of the Polans

Doubravka of Bohemia, Dobrawa was a Bohemian princess of the Přemyslid dynasty and by marriage Duchess of the Polans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mieszko II Lambert</span> King of Poland (r. 1025–31); Duke of Poland (r. 1032–34)

Mieszko II Lambert was King of Poland from 1025 to 1031, and Duke from 1032 until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mieszko I</span> Duke of Poland (c. 930–992) (ruled c. 960–992)

Mieszko I was Duke of Poland from 960 until his death in 992 and the founder of the first unified Polish state, the Civitas Schinesghe. A member of the Piast dynasty, he was the first Christian ruler of Poland and continued the policies of both his father Siemomysł and grandfather Lestek, who initiated a process of unification among the Polish tribes and the creation of statehood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bolesław I the Brave</span> Duke and King of Poland (r. 992–1025)

Bolesław I the Brave, less often known as Bolesław the Great, was Duke of Poland from 992 to 1025, and the first King of Poland in 1025. He was also Duke of Bohemia between 1003 and 1004 as Boleslaus IV. A member of the Piast dynasty, Bolesław was a capable monarch and a strong mediator in Central European affairs. He continued to proselytise Western Christianity among his subjects and raised Poland to the rank of a kingdom, thus becoming the first Polish ruler to hold the title of rex, Latin for king.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congress of Gniezno</span>

The Congress of Gniezno was an amicable meeting between the Polish Duke Bolesław I the Brave and Emperor Otto III, which took place at Gniezno in Poland on 11 March 1000. Scholars disagree over the details of the decisions made at the convention, especially whether the ruler of Poland was pledged the king's crown or not.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peace of Bautzen</span> 1018 treaty ending the German-Polish territorial conflicts of the time

The Peace of Bautzen was a treaty concluded on 30 January 1018, between Holy Roman Emperor Henry II and Bolesław I of Poland which ended a series of Polish-German wars over the control of Lusatia and Upper Lusatia as well as Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cedynia</span> Place in West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland

Cedynia is a small historic town in Poland, and the administrative seat of Gmina Cedynia in Gryfino County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is situated close to the Oder river and the border with Germany. The town is known for the 972 Battle of Cedynia, the first historically recorded battle of Poland.

This is the 972 Battle of Cedynia. For a list of all Polish-German Wars, see Polish-German Wars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lebus</span> Town in Brandenburg, Germany

Lebus is a historic town in the Märkisch-Oderland District of Brandenburg, Germany. It is the administrative seat of Amt Lebus. The town, located on the west bank of the Oder river at the border with Poland, was the centre of the historical region known as Lubusz Land, which provides the name for the present-day Polish Lubusz Voivodeship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thietmar of Merseburg</span> German bishop and historian (975–1018)

Thietmar, Prince-Bishop of Merseburg from 1009 until his death in 1018, was an important chronicler recording the reigns of German kings and Holy Roman Emperors of the Ottonian (Saxon) dynasty. Two of Thietmar's great-grandfathers, both referred to as Liuthar, were the Saxon nobles Lothar II, Count of Stade, and Lothar I, Count of Walbeck. They were both killed fighting the Slavs at the Battle of Lenzen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eckard I, Margrave of Meissen</span> Margrave of Meissen

Eckard I was Margrave of Meissen from 985 until his death. He was the first margrave of the Ekkehardinger family that ruled over Meissen until the extinction of the line in 1046.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Odo I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark</span> German noble and margarve (c.930–993)

OdoI was margrave in the Saxon Eastern March of the Holy Roman Empire from 965 until his death.

Gunther was the Margrave of Merseburg from 965 until his death, upon which the march of Merseburg was united to that of Meissen.

Emnilda, was a Slavic noblewoman and Duchess of Poland from 992 by her marriage with the Piast ruler Bolesław I the Brave.

Oda of Meissen, also named Ode, Old High German form for Uta or Ute, was a Saxon countess and member of the Ekkehardiner dynasty. She married Piast Duke Bolesław I the Brave as his fourth and last wife.

Mieszko Mieszkowic, was a Polish prince, and a member of the House of Piast.

Świętopełk Mieszkowic, was a Polish prince member of the House of Piast.

Lambert Mieszkowic, was a Polish prince of the House of Piast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">German–Polish War (1003–1018)</span>

This is the 1003-1018 German-Polish War. For a list of all Polish-German Wars, see Polish-German Wars.

Siegfried I the Elder, Count of Walbeck and Möckerngau, son of Lothar II the Old, Count of Walbeck, and Mathilde von Arneburg.

References

  1. ↑ Gerstenberg (2008), p. 83
  2. ↑ Thietmari chronicon, vol. IV chap. 2
  3. 1 2 "Otton II Rudy". mediatempora.pl. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  4. ↑ Thietmari chronicon, vol. IV chap. 2
  5. 1 2 3 Janicki, Kamil (2021-01-02). "Pierwsza inwazja Niemców na Polskę w dziejach. Najeźdźcy postarali się, by nikt o niej nie pamiętał". WielkaHistoria (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  6. 1 2 G. Labuda, Mieszko I, p. 158.
  7. ↑ G. Labuda, Mieszko I, p. 153.
  8. ↑ It is understood that the marriage took place around 979–980 (S. Szczur, Historia Polski średniowiecze, p. 53).
  9. ↑ G. Labuda, Bolesław Chrobry p. 44.
  10. ↑ G. Labuda, Mieszko I, chap. VI.4.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.