 Arminius began plotting to unite various Germanic tribes in order to thwart Roman efforts to incorporate their lands into the empire.This proved a difficult task, as the tribes were strongly independent and many were traditionally enemies of each other.Between AD 6 and 9, the Romans were forced to move eight of the eleven legions present in Germania east of the Rhine to crush a rebellion in the Balkans, leaving Varus with only three legions to face the Germans.