Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto II (
955 –
December 7,
983,
Rome), called
the Red, was the third ruler of the
Saxon or
Ottonian dynasty, the son of
Otto the Great and
Adelaide of Italy. At first only co-reigning with his father, he was the
king of Germany and
king of Italy from
961 and
Holy Roman Emperor from
967.
He married
Theophanu, niece of the Eastern Roman Emperor
John I Tzimisces, on
April 14,
972. Upon his father's death in
973, he was accepted as
Holy Roman Emperor without opposition.
Otto spent his reign continuing his father's policy of strengthening imperial rule in Germany and extending it deeper into Italy.
Henry II of
Bavaria revolted in
974 and was not pacified until
978, in the so-called
War of the Three Henries. The next year, Otto received the submission of both
Bohemia and
Poland. Also in that year,
Lothair, king of
France, invaded
Lorraine, to which Otto renounced his claim in
980. With Germany secure, Otto invaded Italy that year, but was repulsed by the
Arabs in
982 at the
Battle of Stilo. The next summer, he called a diet at
Verona to confirm his son,
Otto III, as king of Germany. He died later that year while campaigning against
Venice. While he was in Italy, a
Slavic invasion pushed the Germans west of the
Elbe, but the realm was fairly strong at his death.
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