Germany   
Last Updated 12/16/2007

In the 900s, Germany was the most important country in western Europe.
Gernan kings were losing power.
Nobles wanted to rule their own territory.
The king could still remove lords who did not obey him.

Otto I
919, Otto's father, Henry I the Duke of Saxony, elected king of Germany.
936, Otto I became king of Germany.
He removed lords who did not obey him.
He gave their land to his family.
the catholoic church wanted a Christian Roman Empire.
Otto made his followers bishops and abbots.
He gave them government posts.
They would then supply him with money and soldiers.
951, Otto expands into northern Italy.
962, Otto frees the Pope from Roman nobles.
Pope crowned Otto I emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
It was made up of Germany and northern Italy.
For 90 years, Otto and emperors who followed him controlled the office of the Pope.



Frederick I
1152, Fredrick I, Red Beard, becomes emperor.
He forces lords to be loyal to him and work for his government.
The nobles grew rich in their government posts.
Between 1158 and 1180, Frederick undertook six expeditions into Italy.
The expeditions were either in support of or in order to discipline the pope.
By 1156, Frederick had defeated and executed Arnold, the leader of a city-state, restoring the Popes to Rome.
Italian city-states join together and defeat Frederick' army.
Frederick had to recognize that the city-sates were independent.
1190, while leading a Crusade, Frederick drowns in Asia Minor.
A legend states that he is not dead.
He is under a spell and he will awake an retore the glory of Germany.

Frederick II
1120, Frederick II, grandson of Frederick I, becomes emperor.
He was raised in Palermo, Sicily.
He ruled Sicily and ignored Germany.
He was the best educated monarch.
He spoke several languages.
He liked to do scientific experiments.
He supported education by founding a university in Palermo.
Frederick adopted many Muslim customs.
The Pope was worried that Frederick would talke church lands.
1227, Pope excommunicates Frederick.
1228, Frederick embarks on a Crusade.


1229, Frederick crownded as King of Jerusalem after truce with al-Kamil.
The Pope called for a crusade against Frederick.
1231, Pope lifts Frederick's excommunication.
1239, Frederick excommunicated again by the Pope.
The German princes broke from Frederick's control.

The Hapsburgs
The German princes met to choose a new emperor.
1273, the assenbly chooses Rudolf Hapsburg.
The Hapsburg family rules the Holy Roman Empire for 650 years.



Maximilian I
1493, Maximilian becomes emperor.
He expanded the empire through marriage to Mary of Burgandy.
He gained Flanders, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
He arranged marriages for his children to increase the size of his empire.
The German princes still controlled and ruled their own lands.

Bibliography
"Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor." Wikipedia On Line Encyclopedia. 9 Dec. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_I,_Holy_Roman_Emperor.

"Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor." Wikipedia On Line Encyclopedia. 11 Dec. 2007. 16 Dec. 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_II,_Holy_Roman_Emperor.

Greenblatt, Miriam, and Lemmo, Peter. Human Heritage A World History. Columbus, Ohio: McGraw-Hill, 2001.

"Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor." Wikipedia On Line Encyclopedia. 15 Dec. 2007. 16 Dec. 2007.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_I,_Holy_Roman_Emperor.