Download or read book The Emperor Charles V written by Martyn Rady and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-07-30 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charles V was elected Holy Roman Emperor and, until his death in 1558, he was to play a central role on the European political stage. The book is a clear introduction to the often confusing train of events in the first half of the sixteenth century. It looks at Charles's response to the Protestant Reformation in Germany; his efforts to retain the Netherlands under Habsburg control; his struggle with France for domination over Italy; and his attempts to check the expansion of Ottoman power in the Mediterranean.