ARNOLF, king of GERMANY. — Natural son of Carloman, he was elected Duke of Carinthia in 887, and the following year, having led the rebellion that deposed Charles the Fat, he was created King of Germany. He defeated the Normans in the famous Battle of Louvain (1 Nov. 891) and also fought against the Moravians and Slavs. In 894 he came to Italy, where Guido, Duke of Spoleto, not only had himself created emperor in 891 but had also wished to associate his son Lambert with the empire (892). This first expedition of Arnolf’s, which represented the first intervention of Germany in the history of Italy, was marked by much devastation. Guido was preparing to resist by arms when he died (894).
The son Lambert took advantage of Arnolf’s return to Germany to strengthen as much as possible the Spoletan party in Rome. But in 895 Arnolf returned to Italy and in February 896 he had himself crowned emperor in Rome. Struck by paralysis as he advanced toward Spoleto, he was forced to return to Germany, where he died in the year 899.