Emperor lest the suppression of the Protestant princes might lead to
the establishment of a strong central power. Nor were the Protestants
alarmed by the threat of force. With the Turks hovering on the flanks
of the empire, they were confident that they might expect concessions
rather than violence.

The Protestant princes met in December (1530) at Schmalkald to
consider their position, and early in the following year (1531) they
formed the Schmalkaldic League for the defence of their religious and
temporal interests. Negotiations were opened up with France, Denmark,
and England, and notification was made to the Emperor that they must
withhold their assistance against the Turks until their religious
beliefs were secured. They refused, furthermore, to recognise
Ferdinand, brother of Charles V., whom Charles had proclaimed King of
the Romans. The Emperor, alarmed by the news that Soliman was
preparing an immense army for a general attack on Italy and Austria,
and well aware that he could not count either on the assistance of the
Catholic princes or the neutrality of France, was forced to give way.
In July 1532 peace was concluded at Nurnberg. According to the terms
of the Peace of Nurnberg it was agreed that until a General Council
should assemble no action should be taken against the Protestant
princes, and that in the interval everything was to remain unchanged.
This agreement, it was stipulated, should apply only to those who
accepted the Confession of Augsburg, a stipulation that was meant to
exclude the followers of Zwingli.

Charles V. was really anxious that a Council should be called, nor was
Clement VII. unwilling to meet his wishes, if only he could have been
certain that a Council constituted as such assemblies had been
constituted traditionally, could serve any useful purpose. Time and