The eastern portion of Charlemagne's vast kingdom is revived and expanded under Otto I, often known as Otto the Great. Otto used the same strategies in his campaigns against the Danes in the north and the Slavs in the east, much like Charlemagne did when he employed a mix of force and Christianity to conquer the Saxons on his border.

In 895/896, under the leadership of Árpád, Magyars crossed the Carpathians and entered the Carpathian Basin.  Otto successfully defeats the Magyars of Hungary in 955 on a plain near the river Lech, securing the eastern frontier of what is now known as the Reich (the German "empire"). Otto invades northern Italy, just like Charlemagne, and declares himself king of the Lombards. He receives a papal coronation in Rome, much like Charlemagne.