Thassilo and the Avars
Charlemagne now realized that the time had come for him to deal with
Thassilo, Duke of Bavaria, a somewhat difficult matter because of their
near relationship, Thassilo being, as already stated, Pepin's nephew.
The Duke was not only secretly conspiring against Charlemagne in Italy,
but he was also in communication with the leaders of the Slavs and
Thuringians, urging them to resist Charlemagne's authority. His most
serious offence, however, was his effort to induce the Avars[37] to
assist in the war against the King.
Charlemagne, learning of the intrigues in Italy, appeared there much
sooner than his enemies had anticipated, and easily thwarted their
designs; after which he went to Rome and attended the Easter festival
(787). Fearing that Charlemagne might discover all his secret plottings,
Thassilo sent messengers to the Pope asking him to take steps to bring
about a reconciliation between himself and the King. The Pope, however,
uncertain whether he was in earnest or simply wished to gain time, not
only refused to comply with his request, but sent word to him that if he
violated his solemn promises or evaded them in any way the ban would be
pronounced against him.
After his return Charlemagne summoned a parliament at Worms and laid
Thassilo's case before it. His refusal to appear only aggravated his
guilt. War was declared against him. Three Frankish armies invaded
Bavaria, two of them led by the King's sons, Carl and Pepin, the third
by Charlemagne in person. Thassilo was taken by surprise, for he had
intended to begin his operations later. Neither the discontented
Thuringians, who were in league with him, nor the Slavs and Avars, came
to his help. Thassilo's wife, Luitberger, daughter of Desiderius, had
persistently urged her husband to make war against Charlemagne, and when
too late she realized the folly of her advice and the danger which
threatened Thassilo. The Bavarians themselves were not eager to fight,
and indeed expressed more confidence in Charlemagne than in their Duke.
Under these discouraging circumstances Thassilo deemed it wisest to
betake himself to Charlemagne's camp and implore his pardon. He was
exceedingly penitent and tendered his sceptre to the King, saying that
he had forfeited any right to hold it longer. Charlemagne invested
Thassilo with the dukedom in fee and took hostages from him, among them
his son, Theudo.
Delighted that he had escaped this danger, Thassilo went to Regensburg
and Charlemagne returned home. But Thassilo had hardly come under his
wife's influence again when he violated his promise and resumed his
hostile machinations. He summoned the leaders of his people to
Regensburg, denounced his royal cousin, reviled him, and openly declared
he would not respect a compulsory promise even if it cost him ten sons.
The foolish Duke did not realize how contemptible he made himself by his
conduct in the eyes of all honest men. He renewed negotiations with the
Avars and induced them to join him. One division of the barbarians was
led by Thassilo through Bavarian territory into the Frankish kingdom,
and a second into Italy; but both armies were defeated by Carl, who was
sent against them by the King.
Justice at last overtook Thassilo. He was summoned to appear before the
Parliament at Ingelheim. The defeat of the Avars had so completely
demoralized him that he did not dare to disobey the summons. He failed
to clear himself from the charge of treason. His own followers testified
against him. The indictment against him which called for the severest
penalty was based upon this article in the Frankish statutes: "Whoever
shall fail to keep faith with the kingdom, whoever shall break his vows
to the King, whoever shall ally himself with the enemies of the kingdom,
shall forfeit his life." The death penalty was unanimously pronounced.
Charlemagne asked him what he would do if his life were spared;
whereupon Thassilo, as a proof of his repentance, agreed to spend the
rest of his days in a monastery, received the tonsure at St. Goar, and
was sent from there to Fulda.[38] Charlemagne declared his ducal title
extinguished, assigned Frankish counts to the districts of Bavaria, and
incorporated it in the Frankish kingdom.
The year 790 was one long remembered by the Franks, for it was the only
peaceable year in Charlemagne's long reign. Preparations, however, had
to be made to punish the Avars and prevent raids in future.
The Avars, living between the Enns[39] and the Sau,[40] were of Hunnish
stock, for which reason they are sometimes called Huns in the old
chronicle. They inherited not only the pillaging habits of their
ancestors, who swept over Germany like a deluge in the fifth century,
but the almost countless treasures, or a considerable part of the
treasure, which their fathers had stolen. The defences which they built
on their frontiers were of a peculiar kind. They were called "rings";
each one of them was sufficiently large to enclose a number of villages,
and consisted of strong walls, ten feet high and as many wide,
constructed of tree-trunks and rocks cemented together and surmounted by
densely planted thorn bushes. Behind such walls, the Avars thought they
were secure against any enemy; but they were soon to learn their
mistake.
Charlemagne reviewed his forces at Regensburg before entering upon his
campaign. Upon this occasion he buckled a sword around his third son
Ludwig, then thirteen years of age, who was to take part in the
expedition. He moved along both banks of the Danube in an easterly
direction, while Pepin made his advance from Italy. The Khan of the
Avars attacked the latter and was defeated in a bloody battle. When
Charlemagne reached the Enns he heard the news and invaded the enemy's
country at once. Several rings were carried by storm, the contents of
the treasure vaults removed, the villages devastated, and large numbers
of prisoners were taken. A sickness which broke out among the army
horses forced the King to retire sooner then he had intended. The war,
however, lasted some years longer before the enemy was entirely
subjugated. The decisive battle occurred in the year 796. The rings
which Pepin had reconstructed, as well as those which remained in
possession of the enemy after the first expedition, were taken by
assault. Wien[41] was one of the principal localities occupied by the
Avars. Charlemagne made the Avar country the Oestmark of the kingdom,
subsequently called Oesterrichi and at a later period Oesterreich.[42]