Frederik II and the Protestant Cause

This book considers the role played by Denmark’s King Frederik II (1559-88) in the international diplomacy of the 'age of religious wars'. As Europe’s leading Lutheran sovereign, Frederik commanded great influence; his conviction that an international Catholic 'conspiracy' threatened to destroy Protestantism led him to work towards the creation of a Protestant alliance that included both Calvinist and Lutheran states.Lockhart examines the role of religion in Frederik’s foreign policy, the motivations behind the king’s alliance-building projects, and the reasons behind the ultimate failure of Frederik’s policies.This volume will be of interest to students of early modern diplomacy, sixteenth-century Protestantism, and the Scandinavian monarchies in the early modern period.

'...fills an immense gap...a convincing and important study that adds much to our knowledge of a complex period.' Robert I. Frost, The International History Review, 2006. '…a detailed account of Danish politics largely unknown to English readers…' D.C. Baxter, Choice, 2005. '...closely argued, well researched, and ultimately absorbing...Lockhart does a fine job of leading the reader through the twists and turns of these complex events, and his rehabilitation of Frederik is largely successful...It is a fine achievement and a fascinating story.' Andrew Pettegree, The Sixteenth Century Journal, 2005.

Paul Douglas Lockhart, Ph.D. (1989) in History, Purdue University, is currently Associate Professor of History at Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio. He has published extensively on early modern Scandinavian history, including Denmark in the Thirty Years’ War (Susquehanna, 1996).