Hello and welcome to the history of the Germans, Episode 3, a series of fortunate events.

Last week we left Otto at the end of the year 937, thinking he had successfully put down a rebellion by his half-brother Tankmar, would now be able

to consolidate his rule, bring peace, build roads and castles, and make babies.

Little does he know that his most important vassal, Eberhard of Franconia, and his younger

brother Henry are conspiring against him.

But even before that avalanche of manure drops down on him, the year 938 has a couple of other

challenges at the ready.

First up, we have the traditional annual Hungarian invasion, which was repelled successfully,

again without support from the other dukes.

Biducind makes this out to be a great success that

stopped the Hungarians from coming back to Saxony for 30 years. That at least would be a nice

success in an otherwise bleak year. In the meantime, the old Bavarian Duke Arnold had died. You remember

Arnolf. He was a big competitor in the early years of Henry the Fowler, but had joined him in a

friendship agreement in the end. That friendship agreement left Arnold with a right to rule pretty much

like a king in Bavaria and do whatever he wants, as long as he does not challenge Henry himself.

But his son, another Ibarat, in his arrogance, refused the order of the king to attend the royal

court. Henry has to go to war in Bavaria, order of the king to attend the royal court.

Henry has to go to war in Bavaria and at the second attempt replaces Iberhard

with his more malable brother Berthold.

Berthold is now told that pretty much whatever you want no longer includes investing bishops and abbots.

After this campaign Otto is exhausted and his resources are depleted.

For the last two years he had to pursue civil wars against his brother and his major vassals,

...