to Bohemia. At an assembly of princes held at Ratisbon in July 976 Henry was deprived of his duchy, which was granted to Otto of Swabia. For the first time the two duchies were united under one ruler; but the Bavaria granted to Duke Otto was not the same Bavaria as Duke Henry had formerly held. Several important changes diminished it in extent and in power; first, Carinthia with the March of Verona was completely severed and formed into a separate duchy which was conferred on Henry, called the younger, son of the old Duke Berthold of Bavaria; secondly, the two brothers, Berthold and Liutpold, were rewarded for their fidelity to the imperial cause. Berthold was made more independent, the Nordgau of Bavaria being formed into a new margravate on the Bohemian frontier, while Liutpold was established on a firmer footing on the East March, which we now know as Austria, where his descendants flourished first as margraves and later as dukes down to the thirteenth century. Certain ecclesiastical changes were made at the same time. The Church in Bavaria was freed from the control of the duke and became directly dependent on the king; large grants were made to the bishops of Salzburg and Passau; and the bishopric of Prague, founded the previous year, was attached to the province of Mayence, thus freeing the ecclesiastical centre in Bohemia from any Bavarian influence.
Boleslav of Bohemia had been a principal accessory to the Bavarian revolts; the campaign of 975 had been without result, so in 977 Otto again took the field against him. Though he himself was successful, his nephew, Duke Otto, in command of an army of Bavarians, met with a disaster. One evening his men were peacefully bathing in the river near Pilsen, when they were surprised by a body of Bohemians who slew many of them and captured much booty. Eventually, however, Boleslav was brought to submission and did homage to the Emperor at Magdeburg (Easter 978). A year later a successful campaign compelled Mesco, Duke of the Poles, to submit to the imperial authority. But while the Emperor was engaged in the punitive expedition in Bohemia, a fresh conspiracy of an alarming nature was set on foot in Bavaria. Henry of Carinthia, and Henry, Bishop of Augsburg, allied themselves with Henry, the deposed Duke of Bavaria. Even the Church wavered in its loyalty. Nevertheless, in the "War of the Three Henries" as it was called, Otto was entirely successful. Accompanied by Duke Otto he advanced against the rebels, whom he found in possession of Passau. By means of a bridge of boats he closely invested the town and soon brought it to surrender (September 977). At the Easter Court (978) held at Magdeburg judgment was given against the conspirators. The two dukes were sentenced to banishment, and Henry of Carinthia also suffered the loss of his recently acquired duchy, which was conferred upon Otto the son of Conrad of Lorraine. The Bishop of Augsburg was delivered over to the custody of the Abbot of Werden where he remained till, on the intervention of Duke Otto and the clergy
