List of illustrations List of maps Note on conventions Acknowledgements List of abbreviations Ch. 1 Introduction 1 Ch. 2 An emerging power, 1536-1572 13 The legacy of Christian III, 1536-59 14 Frederik II 29 Resources : military, naval, and financial 55 Ch. 3 Religion and foreign policy, 1559-1572 63 Frederik II and the state church 65 Confessional identity and foreign policy, 1559-72 83 Ch. 4 Two weddings and a conspiracy, 1572-1577 101 The 'bloody wedding' and the Baltic threat, 1572-80 104 The Papist conspiracy 128 Ch. 5 Protestant solidarity and the imperial crisis, 1577-1583 143 Catholic resurgence and protestant solidarity 145 Frederik II and the 'book of discord' 157 Prospects for a protestant alliance, 1577-83 174 Realignment 189 Ch. 6 The common cause, 1583-1585 202 Their ambitions have become as one 202 This manifestly wanton and devilish act 219 The English initiative, 1585 225 Ch. 7 The third peril, 1586-1588 242 To spare the blood of thousands 243 Towards Luneburg 252 The Dutch quagmire 273 I have little hope 290 Ch.

8 Retreat 298 The regency and isolationism 300 But our pious king of Denmark has passed over to God too soon . 308 Bibliography 329 Index 339.