general policy. He despatched Cardinal Campeggio as his legate to the
Diet of Nurnberg (1524). Once again the princes of Germany closed
their ears to the appeal of the Pope, refused to take energetic
measures to enforce the decree of Worms, and talked of establishing a
commission to consider the grievances of their nation against Rome,
and to inquire into the religious issues that had been raised.
Campeggio, feeling that it was hopeless to expect assistance from the
Diet, turned to the individual princes. He succeeded in bringing about
an alliance at Ratisbon (1524) between the rulers of Austria, Bavaria,
and several of the ecclesiastical princes of Southern Germany for the
purpose of opposing the new teaching and safeguarding the interests of
the Catholic Church. A similar alliance of the Catholic princes of
Northern Germany was concluded at Dessau in 1526. At the same time the
princes who were favourable to Lutheran views, notably Philip of
Hesse, John, Elector of Saxony, the rulers of Brandenburg, Prussia,
Mecklenburg and Mansfeld, together with the representatives of the
cities of Brunswick and Mecklenburg, met and pledged themselves to
make common cause, were any attempt made by the Emperor or the
Catholic princes to suppress Luther's doctrine by force. In this way
Germany was being divided gradually into two hostile camps.

Unfortunately Charles V., whose presence in Germany might have
exercised a restraining influence, was so engrossed in the life and
death struggle with France that he had no time to follow the progress
of the religious revolt. To complicate the issue still more, Clement
VII., who had been friendly to the Emperor for some time after his
election, alarmed lest the freedom of the Papal States and of the Holy
See might be endangered were the French driven completely from the
peninsula, took sides openly against Charles V. and formed an alliance
with his opponent. The good fortune that had smiled on the French arms