ABSTRACT
Charles V was elected Holy Roman Emperor and, until his death in 1558, he was to play a central role on the European political stage. The book is a clear introduction to the often confusing train of events in the first half of the sixteenth century. It looks at Charles's response to the Protestant Reformation in Germany; his efforts to retain the Netherlands under Habsburg control; his struggle with France for domination over Italy; and his attempts to check the expansion of Ottoman power in the Mediterranean.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part One|13 pages
The Background
part Two|7 pages
The Imperial Election (1519)
part Three|17 pages
Consolidation
part Four|11 pages
Italy and the Lutherans
part Five|18 pages
The Standard-bearer
part Six|22 pages
War in Germany
part Seven|5 pages
Succession and Abdication
part Eight|4 pages
Assessment — Charles and his Biographers
part Nine|18 pages
Documents