General Notes

1  NAME Rudolph King of /Burgundy/
1  BIRT
2  DATE 891
2  PLAC Bourgogne, France
1  DEAT
2  DATE 937


TITLE: He succeeded his father as king of Burgundy in 912. In 920 Berenger I, King of
Italy enlisted Hungarian mercenaries into his army. This caused the magnates
of the northwest to rise indefiance. They invited Rudolph to assume the throne
of Italy. He defeated Berenger at Fiorenzuola in 923. The next year the
Hungarians burned Pavia, Italy's capitol city. Shortly thereafter Berengar was
assasinated and Rudolph was recognized as king of Italy until 926, when Hugh of
Arles became king. At this time in history western Europe was in a perilous
position. It was being ravaged by the Vikings from the north and by the
Saracens from the south. Then, in 919, The Magyars, led by Zoltan ravaged
large areas of Rudolph's Burgundian lands. In 924 they reached the Rhone and
threatened both Lombardy, which was under Rudolph's control and Provence, which
was ruled by Hugh. Rudolph and HUgh were rivals for the throne of Italy.
Facing this common threat, Rudolph and Hugh buried their differences and joined
forces to drive off the Hungarian invaders. An agreement was reached whereby
Hugh was given the kingship of Italy in return for Rudolph being made ruler of
Provence. The result was that Rudolph was now king of both Transjuran Burgundy
and Provence, thus reviving the old kindom of Burgundy almost as it had existed
in pre-Carolingian times. Only the lands of Richard the Justiciar, which were
to become the French duchy of Burgundy, were excluded.