Rudolf III.
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died Sept. 6, 1032
byname Rudolf The Sluggard, or The Pious, French Rodolphe Le Faineant, or Le Pieux
Last of the independent kings of Burgundy (993–1032).
Son and successor of Conrad the Peaceful, Rudolf was unable to control the rising power of the nobility and the increasing encroachments of Otto-William, count of Besançon, and Emperor Henry II of Germany. In 1016 he was forced to name Henry as his successor, and after Henry's death (1024) the new German king, Conrad II, demanded the same agreement. When Rudolf died without legitimate heirs, Conrad claimed the kingdom and united it with Germany.
Copyright © 1994-2002 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Sources
- Encylopedia Britannica 2002, Expanded Edition DVD