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260:, a ruse helped lead to victory for Otto. Using the protection offered by an oxbow of the Rhine which prevented the Lotharingian forces from a direct attack on Otto's forces that had already crossed, those forces split into two parts. One group, on horseback, rode to the back of the enemy and surprised them. Some of these Saxon troops knew
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Since Otto only had a few boats, he could only move his troops gradually across the Rhine. This was a problem. While Otto and most of his forces were still on the right (east) bank of the river, Otto's advance guard which had already crossed was now at high risk of an attack by a much larger force.
264:, and shouted to their French-speaking opponents that they should flee. In the confusion of battle, the Lotharingian forces did not realize these calls came from their opponents, and they did soon flee. During the battle, Otto and the rest of his troops crossed the river and pursued the enemy.
271:. To prevent a revolt there, Otto pursued him and spread claims that Henry had died so that many castles that Henry had previously taken would return to Otto's fold. According to Widukind, the soldier who had killed Thankmar died in the Battle of Birten.
241:, Otto realized he would be unable to bring all his troops across the river before the battle started, and recalled the Biblical story of Moses praying for help when the Israelites were facing the
162:. He was confronted with numerous conflicts within the Old Saxon royal family and East Francian nobility, and thus faced a number of looming crises in the first five years of his reign.
197:, and although he tried to surrender on July 28, 938, was killed by a soldier named Maincia. Otto mourned for Thankmar, but had his followers killed.
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225:, and other nobles. When Otto learned that Henry and Gilbert had positioned themselves across the Rhine, he first went with his forces to
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and
Gilbert later that same year, the Battle of Birten paved the way for Otto to assert his royal power over his rivals in the kingdom.
233:) named Agina to Henry to try to persuade him to give up. When this failed, Otto and his troops went to the Rhine to confront him.
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rule of division of the kingdom among sons, ascended to the throne as his father's chosen successor on August 7, 936 at
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also rebelled because his younger brother Herman had been given military command of the northern reaches of the
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over him, though he later reconciled with Otto. Thankmar was beseigned by Otto at
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he was carrying (believed to be the lance that pierced the side of Jesus as he
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Otto's brother Henry was wounded in the battle and retreated to
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in Henry's fight for control of the kingdom. Along with the
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217:also began to revolt, aligning himself with Duke
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106:took place in March 939 on the left bank of the
130:, who had aligned with Otto's younger brother
126:defeated the troops of his brother-in-law,
16:939 AD battle within the Kingdom of Germany
229:, and sent the fortress's commander (or
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393:Battles involving the Holy Roman Empire
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245:. Otto then threw himself before the
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177:in 938, struck an alliance with Duke
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173:was appointed by Otto to rule the
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138:, which Otto fought against Duke
289:Warfare in Tenth-Century Germany
213:Soon afterwards, Otto's brother
337:. Volume 2 (1983), p. 226.
398:Battles involving East Francia
344:List, München 1980, p. 4.
342:Otto der Große und seine Zeit.
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237:According to the account of
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91:Henry, Otto's younger brother
154:'s abandonment of the prior
110:at Birten, near the town of
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388:Battles of the Middle Ages
329:Birten, Schlacht bei (939)
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165:Otto's older half-brother
223:Gilbert, Duke of Lorraine
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128:Gilbert, Duke of Lorraine
95:Gilbert, Duke of Lorraine
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334:Lexikon des Mittelalters
253:), and prayed for help.
209:The Holy Lance in Vienna
150:Otto, due to his father
383:10th century in Germany
353:The Deeds of the Saxons
311:and David S. Bachrach)
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116:North Rhine-Westphalia
79:Commanders and leaders
325:Karl Ferdinand Werner
219:Eberhard of Franconia
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179:Eberhard of Franconia
140:Eberhard of Franconia
239:Liutprand of Cremona
118:. In this battle,
73:Duchy of Lotharingia
309:Bernard S. Bachrach
305:Deeds of the Saxons
287:Bachrach, David S.
183:Eberhard of Bavaria
175:Saxon Eastern March
136:Battle of Andernach
348:Widukind of Corvey
301:Widukind of Corvey
291:(2021), pp. 187-88
258:Widukind of Corvey
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187:Wichmann the Elder
62:Kingdom of Germany
251:hung on the cross
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160:Aachen Cathedral
152:Henry the Fowler
114:, which lays in
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22:Battle of Birten
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67:East Francia
56:Belligerents
156:Carolingian
367:Categories
275:References
262:Old French
247:Holy Lance
243:Amalekites
146:Background
181:and Duke
34:March 939
356:Book 2 (
231:Burgvogt
227:Dortmund
195:Eresburg
167:Thankmar
39:Location
319:Sources
331:. In:
269:Saxony
201:Battle
112:Xanten
45:Xanten
215:Henry
132:Henry
108:Rhine
171:Gero
102:The
31:Date
373:939
122:of
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65:(
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