[4]The succession about this period was as follows: The Saxon dynasty (Henry I, Otto I, Otto II, and Otto III) reigned from 919 to 1002. At the death of Otto III, no representative of that dynasty was left. He was succeeded by Henry II, who reigned from 1002 to 1024. After his death the Franconian dynasty (Conrad II, Henry III, Henry IV, and Henry V) occupied the throne from 1024 to 1125, the dynasty ending with the death of Henry V. The latter was succeeded by Lothair, Duke of Saxony, who reigned from 1125 to 1137. At his death, Conrad III of the Hohenstaufen dynasty was elected. He reigned from 1137 to 1152, and was succeeded by Frederick Barbarossa, his nephew, and son of Frederick, Duke of Swabia, who reigned from 1152 to 1190. [5]Henry the Lion was the son of Henry the Proud. He was of such haughty disposition and so ambitious that he was generally disliked, but Frederick succeeded in making him Duke of Bavaria and Saxony. He did much for these duchies by building new towns and colonizing them, and by founding bishoprics. [6]The Guelphs, or Welfs, as they were called in Germany, were the papal party in Italy in the Middle Ages. They were the founders of the house of Brunswick and Hanover to which the present English royal family belongs. The Ghibellines were the imperial and aristocratic party in Italy who derived their name from Waiblingen, an estate in Franconia. The conflict between the two parties was begun in Germany and transferred to Italy, where it raged until the end of the fifteenth century. [7]Conrad’s election had been called hasty and irregular. [8]Frederick’s appellation, “Barbarossa” in Italian, “Rothbart” in German, came from his red beard. [9]This refers to Henry I (919-936) who subdued the Magyars and the Slavs (including the Bohemians), recovered German territory from Denmark, and rid Germany of all its enemies. [10]Tortoria, in the province of Alessandria, Italy, was a conspicuous sufferer in many wars. It was destroyed by Frederick Barbarossa in 1155, again by the Ghibellines in 1163, and was several times captured in the War of the Spanish Succession. [11]Lodi, in the province of Milan, was founded by Barbarossa in place of the Lodi destroyed in 1158. It is the locality of the great victory won by the French under Napoleon over the Austrians under Beaulieu, May 10, 1796. It is now principally famous for its Parmesan cheese and Majolica ware. [12]Frederick’s army was composed of 100,000 foot and 15,000 horse. [13]Crema is in the Province of Cremona and about twenty-four miles from Milan. [14]Frederick set out for Germany attended by thirty horsemen, and at Susa only saved himself by escaping on foot at night with two followers.