▁of ▁Otto ' s ▁reign . ▁A ▁thirty - year ▁peace ▁followed , ▁only ▁ending ▁with ▁the ▁S lav ic ▁revol t ▁in ▁ 9 8 3 . ▁ ▁Background ▁While ▁King ▁Otto ▁was ▁dist ract ed ▁by ▁his ▁campaign s ▁against ▁the ▁Mag y ars , ▁his ▁v ass als ▁W ich mann ▁the ▁Young er ▁and ▁his ▁brother ▁Eg bert ▁the ▁One - E yed ▁inst ig ated ▁a ▁S lav ▁revol t ▁in ▁the ▁Bill ung ▁March . ▁The ▁Ob ot rit es ▁inv aded ▁Sax ony ▁and ▁s ack ed ▁the ▁C oc ares cem ians ' ▁settlement , ▁killing ▁the ▁men ▁of ▁arms - b ear ing ▁age ▁and ▁carrying ▁off ▁the ▁women ▁and ▁children ▁into ▁sla very . ▁According ▁to ▁W id uk ind ▁of ▁Cor vey , ▁in ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁Le ch feld , ▁Otto ▁pressed ▁hard ▁into ▁S lav ▁territory , ▁where ▁W ich mann ▁and ▁Eg bert ▁had ▁sought ▁refuge . ▁▁ ▁Otto ▁raz ed ▁the ▁S lav ▁population ▁cent res ▁and ▁soon ▁had ▁enc irc led ▁them ; ▁he ▁offered ▁to ▁spare ▁his ▁enemies ▁if ▁they ▁would ▁surrender . ▁A ▁S lav ▁emb ass y ▁came ▁to ▁an ▁assembly ▁Otto ▁held ▁in ▁Sax ony ▁and ▁offered ▁to ▁pay ▁annual ▁t ribute ▁in ▁return ▁for ▁being ▁allowed ▁self - g overn ment ; ▁" other wise ," ▁they ▁said , ▁they ▁would ▁" f ight ▁for ▁their ▁liberty ." ▁Re uter ▁arg ues ▁that ▁this ▁is ▁indic ative ▁of ▁a ▁change ▁in