Evaluate the role of the German princes in the spread of Lutheran ideas in Germany up to 1547.

Candidates are required to make an appraisal of the role of the princes in the spread of Lutheran ideas in Germany. They will consider how important the German princes were in actively spreading Lutheran ideas. They may also consider the role of the princes in protecting Lutheranism, or in trying to prevent an increase in the power of Charles V—even if they were Catholic. For balance, they may also refer to the role of Luther himself, the appeal of his ideas and how his treatises and other works supported German nationalism and anticlericalism. The benefits brought by the printing press could also be evaluated as could the conversion of many Imperial cities to Lutheranism. Answers must not go significantly beyond the Battle of Muhlberg.