Rudolph II of Burgundy

Rudolph II
Rudolph of Burgundy, modern portrait (c. 1800)
King of Burgundy (King of Arles from 933)
Reign	912–937
Predecessor	Rudolph I
Successor	Conrad I
King of Italy
Reign	922–926
Predecessor	Berengar of Friuli
Successor	Hugh of Arles
Born	c. 880
Died	11 July 937
Burial	Abbey of St. Maurice, Agaunum
Spouse	Bertha of Swabia
Issue	Conrad I of Burgundy Adelaide of Italy
House	Elder House of Welf
Father	Rudolph I of Burgundy
Mother	Guilla of Provence

Rudolph II (c. 880 – 11 July 937), a member of the Elder House of Welf, was King of Burgundy from 912 until his death. He initially succeeded in Upper Burgundy and also ruled as King of Italy from 922 to 926. In 933 Rudolph acquired the Kingdom of Lower Burgundy (Provence) from King Hugh of Italy in exchange for the waiver of his claims to the Italian crown, thereby establishing the united Burgundian Kingdom of Arles.

He was the son of the Upper Burgundian king Rudolph I, and it is presumed that his mother was his father's known wife Guilla, probably a daughter of King Boso of Provence. Following his ascent to the throne in 912, Rudolph II entered into a border conflict with the neighbouring Dukes of Swabia and campaigned the Thurgau and Zurich estates. Duke Burchard II of Swabia finally defeated him in the 919 Battle of Winterthur; both rulers made peace and Rudolph married Burchard's daughter Bertha in 922.

At the same time, Rudolph was asked by several Italian nobles led by Margrave Adalbert I of Ivrea to intervene in Italy on their behalf against Emperor Berengar. Having entered Italy, he was crowned King of the Lombards at Pavia. In 923, he defeated Berengar at Piacenza; Berengar was murdered the following year, possibly at the instigation of Rudolph. The king then ruled Upper Burgundy and Italy together, residing alternately in both kingdoms.