After being crowned emperor in Aachen, Rudolf I did not immediately launch an eastern campaign as he had promised the Pope.
Precisely because Rudolf's imperial authority was limited, he could only command the armies of his own territories and had no way to control the struggles among the princes. He also knew full well that he still had several rivals to deal with, and those rivals had failed to gain papal recognition precisely because they were unwilling to submit to the Pope.
At the same time, having relinquished his territories in Italy and Sicily, he began levying annual taxes, special taxes, and property taxes on the cities in order to solve the Empire's financial problems. At the time, Germany had quite a few knights who occupied castles. Whether they robbed passersby like bandits or set up toll stations along major routes used by merchants and travelers, demanding passage fees, they all held sway over their own domains and, like Rudolf I, hoped to expand their territories.
In short, these cities and knights did not submit to the emperor, so he sent troops to wipe them out one by one. Before doing so, however, the emperor issued a law "to preserve the laws and order of the Empire," forbidding anyone from continuing to wage war against others.
Whether they were robber knights or anyone else, the Holy Roman Empire had once again emerged from great chaos and restored peace and order. Moreover, compared with riding and killing, marriage diplomacy played an important role in the expansion of the Habsburg royal family's territories. It was also through marriage alliances that Habsburg's Charles V obtained the rule of Spain.
Pomona picked up a white rose from the bucket. This rose had no thorns, but it had not been born that way. The florist