Charlemagne repudiates his Lombard wife
Desiderata, daughter of Desiderius, after one year of
marriage. He marries the 13-year-old
Swabian girl
Hildegard, who will bear him nine children. Desiderius, furious at Charlemagne, plans a punitive campaign against the
Franks and
Rome.
Saxon Wars: King
Charlemagne leads a
Frankish expedition from the
Middle Rhine into disputed territory lost by the
Franks in
695. He starts a campaign against the
Saxons and seizes
Eresburg, destroying the Irminsul (Saxon
sacred tree) near
Paderborn. Charlemagne devastates several major Saxon strongholds, and forces them to retreat beyond the
Weser River. After negotiating with some Saxon nobles and obtaining hostages, he installs a number of garrisons.[5]
King
Desiderius of the
Lombards, enraged by the repudiation by Charlemagne of his daughter
Desiderata, proclaims
Gerberga's sons lawful heirs to the Frankish throne. He attacks
Pope Adrian I for refusing to crown them, and invades the
Duchy of the Pentapolis. Desiderius marches on
Rome, and Adrian turns to the Franks for military support.
In England, King
Offa of Mercia attempts to rule
Kent directly, possibly to depose his rival
Egbert II (approximate date).
Summer – King
Charlemagne and his uncle
Bernard, son of
Charles Martel, cross the
Alps with a
Frankish expeditionary force at the request of
Pope Adrian I. At the foot of the mountains in the
Susa Valley (Northern
Italy), the
Franks are hindered by
Lombard fortifications. After scouting, Charlemagne attacks the defenders from the flank, and forces the Lombards to flee to the fortified capital
Pavia.
Siege of Pavia: Charlemagne besieges Pavia, which is poorly stocked with food. King
Desiderius remains in the capital, and orders his son
Adalgis to defend
Verona to guard
Gerberga, and the children of
Carloman I. After a short siege, Adalgis flees to
Constantinople, where he is received by Emperor
Constantine V. Meanwhile, the Franks capture the cities of Verona and
Mortara.
Battle of Berzitia: The
Bulgarian ruler (khagan)
Telerig sends a small raiding army (12,000 men) to strike into the southwest of
Macedonia, and capture
Berzitia. Emperor
Constantine V is informed about this raid by his
spies in
Pliska, and assembles an enormous force (80,000 men). He surprises the
Bulgarians, who did not expect to find a Byzantine army there, and defeats them decisively. The Bulgars suffer heavy losses.
Telerig sends a message to Constantine V, stating that he is going to flee in
exile to
Constantinople. In exchange, he asks the emperor to reveal the spies to his associates in Pliska for their own safety. Constantine sends the Bulgarian government a list of the spies; however, Telerig executes them all, and eliminates the
Byzantine spy network within his government.[10]
Saxon Wars: Saxon raiders ravage much of northern
Hesse (modern
Germany), and burn the abbey at
Fritzlar, putting the
abbot and
monks to the sword. Charlemagne hurriedly returns to
Austrasia, assembles local troops, and recaptures
Eresburg, before the approach of
winter halts further operations.[11]
King
Aurelius dies after a 6-year reign, and is succeeded by his cousin-in-law
Silo, as ruler of
Asturias (Northern
Spain).
Britain
Unrest in the
Northumbrian Church appears to lead to the expulsion of King
Alhred, who is driven from his capital
York. He sails from
Bamburgh into exile amongst the
Picts, where he is received by King
Ciniod I. He is replaced by
Æthelred I, the 11-year-old son of the late king
Æthelwald Moll.
Saxon Wars: King
Charlemagne holds a major assembly at
Quierzy (Northern France). He leads a Frankish army into
Saxony to retake the castrum of
Syburg (near
Dortmund), then rebuilds and garrisons fortified
Eresburg. He reaches the
Weser at a place called Braunsberg, where the
Saxons stand for battle, but are defeated when Frankish troops cross the river.[13]
Westphalian Saxons, probably commanded by
Widukind, cross the Weser and fight an inconclusive battle at Hlidbeck (modern-day
Lübbecke). Charlemagne claims victory, but perhaps in reality suffers a setback. He reunites his forces and inflicts a real defeat upon the Saxons, seizing considerable
booty and taking
hostages, though Widukind escapes.[14]
Andalusian merchants set up an
emporium (trade settlement) on the
Maghreb coast at
Ténès (modern
Algeria). It is early evidence of the revival of the maritime trade in the Western Mediterranean, after the chaos of the early
8th century.[16]
Abbasid–Carolingian alliance: Charlemagne receives a request for support from pro-
Abbasid rulers in the eastern thughur, or military frontier zone of the
Emirate of Córdoba. Several powerful officials and noblemen in northeastern Iberia, such as the governors of Barcelona and Zaragoza, seek to rise up against the
Umayyad emir
Abd al-Rahman I.[25]
Saxon Wars:
Widukind and his close followers return to
Saxony from
Denmark. He probably makes
alliances with the
Danes and the northwestern
Slav tribes. Saxon rebels destroy the fortress of Karlsburg and sack
Deutz (near
Cologne), but are unable to cross the
Rhine. They are driven back by the
garrison of
Koblenz, but then
ambush and defeat the Frankish pursuers. Counter-attacking Frankish forces pursue the
Saxons up the
Lahn Valley, and defeat them near Leisa.[26]
Britain
Unrest in
Northumbria leads to King
Æthelred I ordering the execution of three of his
dukes. This considerably weakens his position (approximate date).
Charlemagne repudiates his Lombard wife
Desiderata, daughter of Desiderius, after one year of
marriage. He marries the 13-year-old
Swabian girl
Hildegard, who will bear him nine children. Desiderius, furious at Charlemagne, plans a punitive campaign against the
Franks and
Rome.
Saxon Wars: King
Charlemagne leads a
Frankish expedition from the
Middle Rhine into disputed territory lost by the
Franks in
695. He starts a campaign against the
Saxons and seizes
Eresburg, destroying the Irminsul (Saxon
sacred tree) near
Paderborn. Charlemagne devastates several major Saxon strongholds, and forces them to retreat beyond the
Weser River. After negotiating with some Saxon nobles and obtaining hostages, he installs a number of garrisons.[5]
King
Desiderius of the
Lombards, enraged by the repudiation by Charlemagne of his daughter
Desiderata, proclaims
Gerberga's sons lawful heirs to the Frankish throne. He attacks
Pope Adrian I for refusing to crown them, and invades the
Duchy of the Pentapolis. Desiderius marches on
Rome, and Adrian turns to the Franks for military support.
In England, King
Offa of Mercia attempts to rule
Kent directly, possibly to depose his rival
Egbert II (approximate date).
Summer – King
Charlemagne and his uncle
Bernard, son of
Charles Martel, cross the
Alps with a
Frankish expeditionary force at the request of
Pope Adrian I. At the foot of the mountains in the
Susa Valley (Northern
Italy), the
Franks are hindered by
Lombard fortifications. After scouting, Charlemagne attacks the defenders from the flank, and forces the Lombards to flee to the fortified capital
Pavia.
Siege of Pavia: Charlemagne besieges Pavia, which is poorly stocked with food. King
Desiderius remains in the capital, and orders his son
Adalgis to defend
Verona to guard
Gerberga, and the children of
Carloman I. After a short siege, Adalgis flees to
Constantinople, where he is received by Emperor
Constantine V. Meanwhile, the Franks capture the cities of Verona and
Mortara.
Battle of Berzitia: The
Bulgarian ruler (khagan)
Telerig sends a small raiding army (12,000 men) to strike into the southwest of
Macedonia, and capture
Berzitia. Emperor
Constantine V is informed about this raid by his
spies in
Pliska, and assembles an enormous force (80,000 men). He surprises the
Bulgarians, who did not expect to find a Byzantine army there, and defeats them decisively. The Bulgars suffer heavy losses.
Telerig sends a message to Constantine V, stating that he is going to flee in
exile to
Constantinople. In exchange, he asks the emperor to reveal the spies to his associates in Pliska for their own safety. Constantine sends the Bulgarian government a list of the spies; however, Telerig executes them all, and eliminates the
Byzantine spy network within his government.[10]
Saxon Wars: Saxon raiders ravage much of northern
Hesse (modern
Germany), and burn the abbey at
Fritzlar, putting the
abbot and
monks to the sword. Charlemagne hurriedly returns to
Austrasia, assembles local troops, and recaptures
Eresburg, before the approach of
winter halts further operations.[11]
King
Aurelius dies after a 6-year reign, and is succeeded by his cousin-in-law
Silo, as ruler of
Asturias (Northern
Spain).
Britain
Unrest in the
Northumbrian Church appears to lead to the expulsion of King
Alhred, who is driven from his capital
York. He sails from
Bamburgh into exile amongst the
Picts, where he is received by King
Ciniod I. He is replaced by
Æthelred I, the 11-year-old son of the late king
Æthelwald Moll.
Saxon Wars: King
Charlemagne holds a major assembly at
Quierzy (Northern France). He leads a Frankish army into
Saxony to retake the castrum of
Syburg (near
Dortmund), then rebuilds and garrisons fortified
Eresburg. He reaches the
Weser at a place called Braunsberg, where the
Saxons stand for battle, but are defeated when Frankish troops cross the river.[13]
Westphalian Saxons, probably commanded by
Widukind, cross the Weser and fight an inconclusive battle at Hlidbeck (modern-day
Lübbecke). Charlemagne claims victory, but perhaps in reality suffers a setback. He reunites his forces and inflicts a real defeat upon the Saxons, seizing considerable
booty and taking
hostages, though Widukind escapes.[14]
Andalusian merchants set up an
emporium (trade settlement) on the
Maghreb coast at
Ténès (modern
Algeria). It is early evidence of the revival of the maritime trade in the Western Mediterranean, after the chaos of the early
8th century.[16]
Abbasid–Carolingian alliance: Charlemagne receives a request for support from pro-
Abbasid rulers in the eastern thughur, or military frontier zone of the
Emirate of Córdoba. Several powerful officials and noblemen in northeastern Iberia, such as the governors of Barcelona and Zaragoza, seek to rise up against the
Umayyad emir
Abd al-Rahman I.[25]
Saxon Wars:
Widukind and his close followers return to
Saxony from
Denmark. He probably makes
alliances with the
Danes and the northwestern
Slav tribes. Saxon rebels destroy the fortress of Karlsburg and sack
Deutz (near
Cologne), but are unable to cross the
Rhine. They are driven back by the
garrison of
Koblenz, but then
ambush and defeat the Frankish pursuers. Counter-attacking Frankish forces pursue the
Saxons up the
Lahn Valley, and defeat them near Leisa.[26]
Britain
Unrest in
Northumbria leads to King
Æthelred I ordering the execution of three of his
dukes. This considerably weakens his position (approximate date).