Wilhelminer War
Encyclopedia
Wilhelminer War was a minor war fought in the March of Pannonia
(later Austria
) from 882
to 884
. It was initially a rebellion of the sons of the margraves William II
and Engelschalk I
, led by Engelschalk II
, against the new margrave Aribo
. Svatopluk I
of Great Moravia
intervened as an ally of Aribo because he had been at war with William and Engelschalk when the two died in 871
. The "Wilhelminers
" were the descendants of William I, father of the two late margraves.
At first, the rebels were successful, but Aribo appealed to not only Moravia, but also the Emperor
Charles the Fat
, who confirmed Aribo in his post, to which he had been appointed by Charles' father, Louis the German
, back in 871. Svatopluk invaded Pannonia
and, capturing one of Wilhelminer sons, mutilated him. The remaining sons then withdrew from Charles' suzerainty and did homage to Arnulf of Carinthia
, Charles' bastard nephew, who thus estranged himself from his uncle. The war between Arnulf and Svatopluk escalated after the former refused to surrender the Wilhelminers after requested. After two and a half years, Charles himself came to Kaumberg
to receive Svatopluk as his vassal and accept promises of peace. An actual agreement was not reached between the Moravians and Arnulf until late 885
.
The war is generally seen as having greatly augmented the power of Svatopluk I and strengthened his bonds to the Empire, as illustrating Charles diminished authority over his vassals and his inability to control their fidelity, and as rupturing the relationship between uncle and nephew and thus ruining the chances of Arnulf becoming Charles' heir or even receiving imperial largesse. It is disputed whether the war really indicates the weakness or in fact the relative strength of the emperor or whether Arnulf ever had any potential of inheriting the imperial title in the first place.
March of Pannonia
The March of Pannonia was a frontier march of the Carolingian Empire erected in the mid-ninth century against the threat of Great Moravia and lasting only as long as the strength of that state....
(later Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
) from 882
882
Year 882 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Carloman, King of the West Franks, becomes sole king upon the death of his brother....
to 884
884
Year 884 was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* March 1 – Diego Rodríguez Porcelos founds and repopulates Burgos....
. It was initially a rebellion of the sons of the margraves William II
William (marcha orientalis)
William was the margrave of the March of Pannonia in the mid ninth century until his death on campaign against the Moravians in 871. In his day, the march orientalis corresponded to a front along the Danube from the Traungau to Szombathely and the Rába river and including the Vienna basin...
and Engelschalk I
Engelschalk I
Engelschalk I was the margrave of the March of Pannonia in the mid ninth century until his death on campaign against the Moravians in 871. In his day, the march orientalis corresponded to a front along the Danube from the Traungau to the Szombathely and Raba rivers and including the Vienna basin...
, led by Engelschalk II
Engelschalk II
Engelschalk II was the margrave of the March of Pannonia in the late ninth century in opposition to Aribo...
, against the new margrave Aribo
Aribo of Austria
Aribo was the margrave of the March of Pannonia, from 871 until his death...
. Svatopluk I
Svatopluk I
Svatopluk I or Zwentibald I was the greatest ruler of Moravia that attained its maximum territorial expansion in his reign . His career had already started in the 860s, when he governed a principality, the location of which is still a matter of debate among historians, within Moravia under the...
of Great Moravia
Great Moravia
Great Moravia was a Slavic state that existed in Central Europe and lasted for nearly seventy years in the 9th century whose creators were the ancestors of the Czechs and Slovaks. It was a vassal state of the Germanic Frankish kingdom and paid an annual tribute to it. There is some controversy as...
intervened as an ally of Aribo because he had been at war with William and Engelschalk when the two died in 871
871
Year 871 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Nine battles are fought between the Danes and Wessex...
. The "Wilhelminers
Wilhelminers
The Wilhelminers were a noble Bavarian family of the 9th century. They rose to prominence mid-century under the brothers William and Engelschalk I, sons of William I, the founder of the family. The family held the March of Pannonia until 871, but their possession of it was the cause of a dispute,...
" were the descendants of William I, father of the two late margraves.
At first, the rebels were successful, but Aribo appealed to not only Moravia, but also the Emperor
Carolingian Empire
Carolingian Empire is a historiographical term which has been used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty in the Early Middle Ages. This dynasty is seen as the founders of France and Germany, and its beginning date is based on the crowning of Charlemagne, or Charles the...
Charles the Fat
Charles the Fat
Charles the Fat was the King of Alemannia from 876, King of Italy from 879, western Emperor from 881, King of East Francia from 882, and King of West Francia from 884. In 887, he was deposed in East Francia, Lotharingia, and possibly Italy, where the records are not clear...
, who confirmed Aribo in his post, to which he had been appointed by Charles' father, Louis the German
Louis the German
Louis the German , also known as Louis II or Louis the Bavarian, was a grandson of Charlemagne and the third son of the succeeding Frankish Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye.He received the appellation 'Germanicus' shortly after his death in recognition of the fact...
, back in 871. Svatopluk invaded Pannonia
Pannonia
Pannonia was an ancient province of the Roman Empire bounded north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia....
and, capturing one of Wilhelminer sons, mutilated him. The remaining sons then withdrew from Charles' suzerainty and did homage to Arnulf of Carinthia
Arnulf of Carinthia
Arnulf of Carinthia was the Carolingian King of East Francia from 887, the disputed King of Italy from 894 and the disputed Holy Roman Emperor from February 22, 896 until his death.-Birth and Illegitimacy:...
, Charles' bastard nephew, who thus estranged himself from his uncle. The war between Arnulf and Svatopluk escalated after the former refused to surrender the Wilhelminers after requested. After two and a half years, Charles himself came to Kaumberg
Kaumberg
Kaumberg is a town in the district of Lilienfeld in the Austrian state of Lower Austria....
to receive Svatopluk as his vassal and accept promises of peace. An actual agreement was not reached between the Moravians and Arnulf until late 885
885
Year 885 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* The Vikings besiege Paris.* Godfrith, the Sea King is killed in Lobith...
.
The war is generally seen as having greatly augmented the power of Svatopluk I and strengthened his bonds to the Empire, as illustrating Charles diminished authority over his vassals and his inability to control their fidelity, and as rupturing the relationship between uncle and nephew and thus ruining the chances of Arnulf becoming Charles' heir or even receiving imperial largesse. It is disputed whether the war really indicates the weakness or in fact the relative strength of the emperor or whether Arnulf ever had any potential of inheriting the imperial title in the first place.
Sources
- MacLean, Simon. Kingship and Politics in the Late Ninth Century: Charles the Fat and the end of the Carolingian Empire. Cambridge University Press: 2003.
- Reuter, Timothy (trans.) The Annals of Fulda. (Manchester Medieval series, Ninth-Century Histories, Volume II.) Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1992.