File:The story of the greatest nations, from the dawn of history to the twentieth century - a comprehensive history, founded upon the leading authorities, including a complete chronology of the world, and (14778065592).jpg

Identifier: greatestnations03elli (find matches)
Title: The story of the greatest nations, from the dawn of history to the twentieth century : a comprehensive history, founded upon the leading authorities, including a complete chronology of the world, and a pronouncing vocabulary of each nation
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Ellis, Edward Sylvester, 1840-1916 Horne, Charles F. (Charles Francis), 1870-1942
Subjects: World history
Publisher: New York : F.R. Niglutsch
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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ry-men again. At last, in 782, there was an uprising more than usually successful, and awhole Frankish army was annihilated. Charles patience was exhausted. Thefeigned submission and promises of conversion with which the Saxons met him,no longer appeased him. He demanded to know the leaders of the insurrec-tion. All threw the blame on Wittekind; but as Wittekind, scorning submis-sion, had fled again, Charles seized forty-five hundred of the leading Saxons onthe charge of being involved in the treachery, and had them beheaded in oneday at Verden. The number of the victims makes absurd the old legend thathe slew them with his own hand, but the gruesome fact remains that they wereslain. Not content with this appalling vengeance, the king swept through the landravaging it everywhere with fire and sword, until winter sent him back to hiscapital and to repose. The Saxons were not cowed; rather they were rousedto furious revenge for their dead relatives, their blackened and desolate homes. I
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Germany—Conquest of the Saxons 541 Rebellion sprang up full-armed behind the retiring army, and the followingspring Charlemagne found all his work of years undone, to be begun once more.If the king was heroic in his unbending resolution, the Saxons were not less soin their defiant resistance. By this time they must have recognized the hope-lessness of their cause, yet they fought for freedom to the bitter end. There was a desperate battle at Detmold, Wittekind against Charles; andthe best result the great conqueror could secure seems to have been a drawncontest. He found it advisable to retreat and wait for reinforcements. TheSaxons had no longer reinforcements to count upon. They were defeatedutterly in a second battle. Then for three years their land was systematicallylaid waste from end to end. Whole districts of fertile farm land were reducedto uninhabited deserts. The people fled into the remoter parts of the country,as yet beyond the conquerors grasp. Wittekind saw that the en

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