This is a list of
marches. In the
Middle Ages, marches were any type of borderland between realms, or a neutral zone under joint control of two states. Marches served a political purpose, such as providing warning of military incursions, or regulating cross-border trade.
Northeastern marches
At the beginning of his rule as king of
Germany,
Otto I tried to reorganize his realm to prepare an expansion to the East. At the beginning of the year 937, he created two marches: the March of the Billungen, given to
Hermann Billung, later
Duke of Saxony; and the Eastern march, given to
Gero. In 961, when Billung became Duke of Saxony, his March was merged with the duchy. In the case of Gero, Otto I, now emperor, decided the division of his territories, greatly expanded since 937.
March of Billung (937-961): Carved from the Duchy of Saxony, then merged back.
Ostmark, sometime confused with Nordmark, or with the Bavarian Ostmark (Austria), later the
Margraviate of Lusatia (from 965). Carved from the March of Gero.
Landsberg (1261–1347), separated from Lusatia, integrated into Meissen (later Saxony).
Northwestern marches
In 861,
Charles the Bald, king of France, created two marches to protect his realm from warriors coming from Brittany and Normandy. Both were named
March of Neustria, but will be known as March of Brittany and March of Normandy. In 863, the king created the March of Flanders.
Carniola (927-1071): carved from Friuli, annexed to the Patriarchy of Aquileia. Later formed part of the
Habsburg domains before being raised to a duchy.
Upper March (al-Tagr al-A'la al-Andalusi), centered on
Zaragoza: created to protect the
Emirate of Cordoba from Frankish coastal and east-Pyrenees invasions. The northernmost part of the Upper March was called the Distant or Farthest March (al-Tagr al-Aqsa)
Middle March (al-Tagr al-Awsat), centered on
Toledo and later
Medinaceli: created to protect the Emirate of Cordoba from invasions from the west-Pyrenees and
Asturias.
Lower March (al-Tagr al-Adna), centered on
Mérida: created to protect the Emirate of Cordoba from Asturian incursions.
Castile, named for the fortifications typical of a march: created to protect the Asturian kingdom from Cordoban invasions. It developed into a county, then a kingdom.
Provence (905-1105): From 975 it became a family title, the eldest bearing it. It disappeared after the death of Raymond IV of Toulouse.
This is a list of
marches. In the
Middle Ages, marches were any type of borderland between realms, or a neutral zone under joint control of two states. Marches served a political purpose, such as providing warning of military incursions, or regulating cross-border trade.
Northeastern marches
At the beginning of his rule as king of
Germany,
Otto I tried to reorganize his realm to prepare an expansion to the East. At the beginning of the year 937, he created two marches: the March of the Billungen, given to
Hermann Billung, later
Duke of Saxony; and the Eastern march, given to
Gero. In 961, when Billung became Duke of Saxony, his March was merged with the duchy. In the case of Gero, Otto I, now emperor, decided the division of his territories, greatly expanded since 937.
March of Billung (937-961): Carved from the Duchy of Saxony, then merged back.
Ostmark, sometime confused with Nordmark, or with the Bavarian Ostmark (Austria), later the
Margraviate of Lusatia (from 965). Carved from the March of Gero.
Landsberg (1261–1347), separated from Lusatia, integrated into Meissen (later Saxony).
Northwestern marches
In 861,
Charles the Bald, king of France, created two marches to protect his realm from warriors coming from Brittany and Normandy. Both were named
March of Neustria, but will be known as March of Brittany and March of Normandy. In 863, the king created the March of Flanders.
Carniola (927-1071): carved from Friuli, annexed to the Patriarchy of Aquileia. Later formed part of the
Habsburg domains before being raised to a duchy.
Upper March (al-Tagr al-A'la al-Andalusi), centered on
Zaragoza: created to protect the
Emirate of Cordoba from Frankish coastal and east-Pyrenees invasions. The northernmost part of the Upper March was called the Distant or Farthest March (al-Tagr al-Aqsa)
Middle March (al-Tagr al-Awsat), centered on
Toledo and later
Medinaceli: created to protect the Emirate of Cordoba from invasions from the west-Pyrenees and
Asturias.
Lower March (al-Tagr al-Adna), centered on
Mérida: created to protect the Emirate of Cordoba from Asturian incursions.
Castile, named for the fortifications typical of a march: created to protect the Asturian kingdom from Cordoban invasions. It developed into a county, then a kingdom.
Provence (905-1105): From 975 it became a family title, the eldest bearing it. It disappeared after the death of Raymond IV of Toulouse.