Diplomatic Intelligence on the Holy Roman Empire and Denmark during the Reigns of Elizabeth I and James VI: Three Treatises

Description

This collection brings to light three accounts on the Holy Roman Empire and Denmark during the second half of the sixteenth century. Written by two Englishmen and one Scot, these works demonstrate the depth of diplomacy as carried out by highly specialized representatives, the complexity of politics in the Empire, and the volatile but crucial role played by religion in international relations during a period of conflict. The first treatise dates from 1569, when Queen Elizabeth and the Protestant Princes of Germany tried to form an alliance against Catholic powers, the second from 1588, when Denmark was adjusting to a regency government, the third from 1590, when King James VI sent his first embassy to Germany and Denmark after his marriage to Anna. This volume will be useful to scholars of Britain, Germany, and Denmark, as well as those interested in more general aspects of early modern diplomacy and religion.

David Scott Gehring was educated at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and held long- and short-term research fellowships in the UK, the USA, Germany and Israel before coming to the University of Nottingham in 2014. His research investigates English relations with different groups of Protestants on the European mainland, with a particular focus on the Protestant territories of the Holy Roman Empire and Denmark. He has published in BBC History Magazine, edited collections, and various journals. His first book, Anglo-German Relations and the Protestant Cause: Elizabethan Foreign Policy and Pan-Protestantism, was published in 2013.

'Will be of great benefit to the understanding of English diplomacy in the Holy Roman Empire during Elizabeth's reign. ... not only convey[s] a colourful, contemporary picture of early modern Germany and Denmark, but also contribute to answering the larger question of how the Holy Roman Empire was perceived by neighbouring rulers at the time.' Hannes Ziegler, Diplomatic Intelligence 'Gehring's writing style is crisp and meticulous, and though he acknowledges existing scholarship in the field of diplomatic intelligence, he does not let this cloud his own analysis of the texts. This book is technically sound, and the author provides a fine historical study that poses and answers much-needed questions in the field of diplomatic intelligence studies ... a critically astute study that is dense and methodical in its research, and clear in its argument.' Dannielle Shaw, European History Quarterly