Swabia were outside his sphere of authority. Burchard, "no duke, but tyrant, despoiler and ravager of the land" (his unscrupulous disposal of church property had given him a bad reputation among monastic writers) was ruling in Swabia. He had just rid himself of the aggressions of Rodolph II, King of Upper (Jurane) Burgundy, who had attempted to add Swabia to his dominions, by defeating him at Winterthur[1]. At the news of Henry's approach, for it is uncertain whether the king actually entered Swabia, he surrendered unconditionally. Henry allowed him to retain his dukedom, only reserving to himself the right of appointing to bishoprics and the royal domain lying within the limits of the duchy.
Bavaria offered a more difficult task. Arnulf "the Bad," though, like Burchard, he had gained the ill-will of the clergy owing to his habit of appropriating the revenue and property of the Church, was exceedingly popular with the secular nobles. He had been urged, not against his will, to put forward a claim to the throne of Germany, and was only prevented by the antagonism of the clergy from making an immediate attempt to win this end. According to one account Henry was obliged to make two campaigns before he was able to bring Arnulf to terms. However that may be, in 921 he approached Ratisbon (Regensburg), perhaps, as Widukind records, he actually besieged the town; and, by granting particularly favourable conditions, obtained Arnulf's submission. The duke retained the coveted right of appointing to bishoprics within his duchy, a privilege confined to Bavaria alone; in other ways also Bavaria secured a larger measure of independence than was enjoyed by any other German tribe. Almost sovereign powers were given to its duke. Arnulf struck coins, directed his own foreign policy, and dated documents according to the year of his reign.
Henry was not satisfied with the limits prescribed by the Treaty of Verdun; he aimed at the inclusion of Lorraine in the German realm. It was not an easy matter and was only accomplished by untiring patience and by taking advantage of opportunities offered by the ceaseless disturbances in the Western Kingdom. Gilbert (Giselbert), the reigning duke, a versatile and unscrupulous man, sought and obtained the help of the German king when his dominions were overrun by the West Franks. He was reinstated and remained on friendly terms with Henry until, in 920, hostilities broke out between the Eastern and Western Kingdoms. Charles the Simple pushed his way into Germany as far as Pfeddersheim near Worms, but retired on hearing that Henry was arming against him. Gilbert, at this juncture, threw off his allegiance
- ↑ Rodolph, however, partially gained his object. For either on the occasion of his marriage with Burchard's daughter Bertha, or more probably after Burchard's death, at the Council held at Worms in November 926, he added a strip of territory lying to the east of the river Aar, but the extent of which is uncertain, to his dominions in return for the gift to Henry the Fowler of the much coveted Holy Lance. See R. L. Poole, The Supposed Origin of Burgundia Minor, EHR, xxx. 51, 1915.
