Early saxon frontier warfare: Henry I, Otto I, and Carolingian military institutions
Bernard S. Bachrach|David S. Bachrach
Introduction For more than a century, specialists in medieval German history have labored diligently to establish Sonderweg or special route for the of early kingdom. These efforts focused, their initial phase, on distinguishing and distancing institutions Saxon monarchy (919–1024) Francia orientalis from those French kingdom, i.e., occidentalis . While often recognizing continuity between Carolingian West into tenth century beyond, lands tried either deny diminish supposed role even influence mutual predecessors development According this period history, kingdom was not an heir secular origin. Rather, all important aspects governance are seen been based upon personal ties ( Personenverbande ) king great men regnum In context, royal “friendship” amicitia with nobles technique used by kings rule over The concomitant argument is that Ottonian did possess central administration Verwaltung ). Indeed, there considerable controversy about whether it possible describe as state Staat Military Forces Since late nineteenth particularly military identified contingents ecclesiastical magnates dominating armies were commanded king.