Ottonian military commanders understood quite well that maintaining a high level of morale was crucial for success in combat. From their first introduction to the Bible, stories such as those of Gideon and his 300 men in Judges 7 made clear that the side that is more confident and committed to victory would have an advantage in battle. But there were many challenges to maintaining high morale in an army. Early medieval warfare, like its ancient and modern counterparts, was characterized by long spans of tedium and drudgery interspersed with short periods of intense emotion, most notably fear. A lengthy campaign during which soldiers undertook long marches under the blazing sun or in pouring rain, and then dug a fortified camp every night, could wear down even the most dedicated fighting men. As Widukind of Corvey observed, when Otto I wished to pursue his rebellious son Liudolf into Bavaria during the civil war of 953, the king's army begged to be allowed to return home because the soldiers were exhausted by their long campaign. Recognizing that these troops could not be pushed any further, Otto discharged them, and advanced south to Bavaria with a much smaller army than he had intended, ultimately failing to achieve any success there.

The anxiety, fear, and even terror of the night before battle could strike even veteran soldiers. Angelbert, a soldier in the army of Lothair I at Fontenoy (842), referred to the “terrors of the nigh” before going into combat.