Anglo-German Relations and the Protestant Cause

David Gehring is Assistant Professor of Early Modern English History at the University of Nottingham

'the first complete study we have of the relations between Queen Elizabeth I and the princes of the Holy Roman Empire ... what makes it important is its impressive range, depth and texture as a study of the history of confessional diplomacy.' English Historical Review 'Dr Gehring's historiography provides an important new critical context for Sidney studies ... [This] well-researched and well-written book on Anglo-German policy under Elizabeth I should prove seminal for Sidney studies regarding the embassy of 1577 and beyond.' Sidney Journal 'Gehring's meticulously researched book makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of Elizabethan foreign policy and the role of religion in diplomatic decision-making.' Journal of Ecclesiastical History 'succeeds in the depth of research, the soundness of the main argument, and the ability of the author to contextualize the key issues. This book is especially relevant to anyone with an interest in foreign policy, religious policy, and their intersection in the sixteenth century.' Sixteenth Century Journal 'David Scott Gehring's fresh and stimulating study offers an admirably clear-minded survey of diplomatic manoeuvres ... It offers an important corrective to studies of foreign policy focused too exclusively on English relations with the great Catholic powers and the two revolts in France and the Netherlands.' German History 'Gehring's book is an indispensable study of a significant but neglected area of Elizabethan foreign policy. Based on research in Danish, German, English and American archives, it offers a new perspective on international Protestantism and England's relations with the German princes.' Susan Doran, University of Oxford 'a refreshing reorientation of our understanding of Elizabethan foreign policy, with its anxious hopes for anti-papal alliances, and its concerns about the slippery world of Lutheran Protestants and princes. This is an important book that changes some of what we knew in Elizabethan politics and religion.' Norm Jones, Utah State University

• Introduction: Elizabethan England and the German Question 1. The Elizabethan Settlement and Anglo-German Policy in the First Years 2. Foedus et Fractio I: The Fortunes and Challenges of Anglo-German Diplomacy, 1560-76 3. Foedus et Fractio II: The Formula of Concord and the Protestant League, 1577-80 4. Foedus et Fractio III: The Confessional Realignment of Anglo-German Relations, 1580-86 5 Foedus et Fractio IV: The Crescendo of European Conflict and the Changing of the Guard, 1587-92 Conclusion: England and the Protestant Princes of the Empire