In proper time Henry was proclaimed king of Germany; but he was
hardly seated on the throne when the country was invaded by thousands
of Magyars, from the land which we now know as Hungary.
As soon as possible Henry gathered an army and marched to meet
the barbarians. He came upon a small force under the command of
the son of the Magyar king. The Germans easily routed the Magyars
and took the king's son prisoner.
This proved to be a very fortunate thing, because it stopped the
war for a long term of years. When the Magyar king learned that his
son was a prisoner in the hands of King Henry he was overwhelmed
with grief. He mourned for his son day and night and at last sent
to the German camp a Magyar chief with a flag of truce, to beg
that the prince might be given up.
"Our king says that he will give whatever you demand for the release
of his son," said the chief to the German monarch.
"I will give up the prince on this condition only," was the reply,
"the Magyars must leave the soil of Germany immediately and promise
not to war on us for nine years. During those years I will pay to
the king yearly five thousand pieces of gold."
"I accept the terms in the king's name," responded the chief. The
prince was, therefore, given up and the Magyars withdrew.
During the nine years of truce King Henry paid great attention
to the organization of an army. Before this the German soldiers
had fought chiefly on foot, not, as the Magyars did, on horseback.
For this reason they were at a great disadvantage in battle. The
king now raised a strong force of horsemen and had them drilled
so thoroughly that they became almost invincible. The infantry
also were carefully drilled.
Besides this, Henry built a number of forts in different parts of
his kingdom and had all the fortified cities made stronger.
The following year the Magyar chief appeared at the German court
and demanded a tenth payment.
"Not a piece of gold will be given you," replied King Henry. "Our
truce is ended."
In less than a week a vast body of Magyars entered Germany to renew
the war. Henry held his army in waiting until lack of food compelled
the barbarians to divide their forces into two separate bodies.
One division was sent to one part of the country, the other to
another part.
Henry completely routed both divisions, and the power of the Magyars
in Germany was broken.
The Danes also invaded Henry's kingdom, but he defeated them and
drove them back.
Henry reigned for eighteen years; and when he died all Germany was
peaceful and prosperous. His son Otto succeeded him. He assumed
the title of "Emperor," which Charlemagne had borne more than a
hundred years before.
From that time on, for nearly one thousand years, all the German
emperors claimed to be the successors of Charlemagne. They called
their domain "the Holy Roman Empire," and took the title "Emperor"
or "Emperor of the Romans," until the year 1806, when Francis II
resigned it.