Editing Henry the Proud (section)

==Career==
Henry was a loyal supporter in the warfare between his father-in-law King Lothair and the Hohenstaufen brothers, Duke Frederick II (who was Henry's brother-in-law, having been married to his sister [[Judith of Bavaria, Duchess of Swabia|Judith]]) and Conrad, then duke in [[Duchy of Franconia|Franconia]] and [[anti-king]] of Germany. While engaged in this struggle, Henry was also occupied in suppressing a rising in Bavaria, led by Count Frederick of [[Bogen, Germany|Bogen]], during which both duke and count sought to establish their own candidates as [[bishop of Regensburg]]. After a war of devastation, Count Frederick submitted in 1133, and two years later the Hohenstaufen brothers made their peace with Emperor Lothair.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=293}}

In 1136, Henry accompanied his father-in-law to [[Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire)|Italy]], and taking command of a Bavarian division of the Imperial army marched into the south Italian [[Kingdom of Sicily]] up to [[Bari]], devastating the land as he went. Having distinguished himself by his military abilities during this campaign, Henry was appointed as margrave of [[March of Tuscany|Tuscany]], succeeding [[Engelbert III, Margrave of Istria|Engelbert III of Sponheim]], and as Lothair's successor in the Duchy of Saxony.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=293}} He was also given the private properties of late Margravine [[Matilda of Tuscany]] from the hands of [[Pope Innocent II]].

When Emperor Lothair died on his way back from Italy in December 1137, Henry's wealth and position made him a formidable candidate for the German crown. According to the contemporary chronicler [[Otto of Freising]], after his appointment as Duke of Saxony he boasted of a realm stretching "from sea to sea, from Denmark to Sicily".<ref>''Chronica de duabus civitatibus'' VII 23 (A. Hofmeister (ed.), 1912, p. [http://www.dmgh.de/de/fs1/object/goToPage/bsb00000746.html?pageNo=345 345]).</ref>

However, the same qualities which earned him the [[cognomen]] of "the Proud" aroused the jealousy of the [[Princes of the Holy Roman Empire|princes]] and so ultimately prevented his election. The new king, Conrad III, demanded the [[Imperial Regalia]] which Henry had received from Lothair, and the duke in return asked for his investiture with the Saxon duchy. But Conrad, who feared his power, refused to assent to this on the pretext that it was unlawful for two [[stem duchy|duchies]] to be in one hand.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=293}}

Attempts at a settlement failed, and when in July 1138 Henry refused to take the oath of allegiance, he was [[Imperial ban|banned]] and deprived of both his duchies. Bavaria was given to the [[House of Babenberg|Babenberg]] margrave [[Leopold, Duke of Bavaria|Leopold IV of Austria]], a half-brother of the new king Conrad. Saxony, which he had attempted to hold but was not officially invested with, was given to the [[House of Ascania|Ascanian]] count [[Albert the Bear]], son of [[Eilika of Saxony]], a younger daughter of the last Billung duke Magnus.