Editing Christian III of Denmark (section)

=== Later reign ===
{{further|Schmalkaldic League|First Treaty of Brömsebro (1541)|Treaty of Speyer (1544)}}{{See also|Treaty of Fontainebleau (1541)}}[[File:Gustav Vasa triumphs 5.jpg|thumb|250px|[[First Treaty of Brömsebro (1541)|First Treaty of Brömsebro]]: Christian III's meeting with [[Gustav I of Sweden]] in [[Brömsebro]], 1541 ([[watercolor]] reproduction of a lost painting made during the Swedish King's reign)]]

The dangers threatening Christian III from  [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Charles V]] and other kinsmen of the imprisoned Christian II convinced him of the necessity to lessen the discontent in the land by relying on Danish magnates and nobles. At the High Court (''Herredag'') of Copenhagen in 1542, the nobility of Denmark voted Christian a twentieth part of all their property to pay off his heavy debt to  German [[Mercenary|mercenaries]]. The pivot of the foreign policy of Christian III was his alliance with the German Protestant princes and [[Kingdom of France|France]]. This provided a counterpoise to the persistent hostility of Charles V, who was determined to support the hereditary claims of his nieces, the daughters of Christian II, to the Scandinavian kingdoms. [[Italian War of 1542–1546#Danish-Norwegian participation|War was declared]] against Charles V in 1542, and, though the German Protestant princes proved faithless allies, the closing of the [[Danish straits|Sound]] against Dutch shipping proved such an effective weapon in Christian's hand that the Netherlands compelled Charles V to make peace with Denmark-Norway at the diet of [[Speyer]], on 23 May 1544.<ref name="nbl" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://denstoredanske.dk/Samfund,_jura_og_politik/Jura/Retshistorie/herredag |title=Herredag |website=Den Store Danske, Gyldendal |author=Jens Ulf Jørgensen |access-date=December 1, 2019}}</ref>{{sfn|Bain|1911}}