Emperor Charles V, Impresario of War

This book examines all three dimensions of European warfare, based on the campaigns of Emperor Charles V (1500-1558). Charles’s role as commander-in-chief is evaluated by measuring his strategic aims. The process by which bankers took control of the finances of the Habsburg lands becomes clear from an examination of the source of the money to pay for Charles’s campaigns. Finally, a comparison of the realms that provided most of Charles’s revenues shows how some parliamentary bodies successfully pursued long-term local interests by exploiting the dynasty’s need for money.