![[Prev Page]](/westciv/images/previous.gif)
![[Contents]](/westciv/images/toc.gif)
![[Next Page]](/westciv/images/next.gif)
The Carolingian Empire
Conquests: Saxony
The story of Saxony was quite different from that of Lombardy. Saxony (which is today northwestern Germany and parts of the Netherlands) was still ruled by the Saxons, who had remained pagan. They were a semi-nomadic people who lived in part by preying on farming communities and they were a sore thorn in Charles' side.
So, in 772, he decided that it was in the interests of both realm and Church
that he do something about the Saxons. He gathered an army, marched into Saxony
and defeated the army that was fielded against him. He pushed forward as far as
the
Weser River,
receiving the submission of local chiefs. Then he went home again.
The next year he was pre-occupied by the business in Lombardy, and the Saxon chiefs quickly ignored their oaths to receive missionaries and to send tribute payments to the Christian king.
In 775, Charles again invaded Saxony and again defeated the army that was sent against him. This time he scoured Saxony from one end to the other, to make sure there were no chieftains left undefeated. To make doubly certain of his new subjects, he forced the chiefs to convert to Christianity.
This worked, for a while.