The Diet of Worms
The nailing of Martin Luther's 95 Theses in 1517 was seen as a threat to the Holy Roman Emperor and the Clergy of the Empire because they went against the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, the teachings that the government of the Holy Roman Empire followed. On April 17, 1521 Martin Luther was called to be judged by the Emperor, who was Charles V, and the clergy at the Diet of Worms for his act of rebellion in 1517. Luther was questioned for his act, and defended it refusing to recant, or renounce his previous deeds. In the end Martin Luther was labeled as an a outlaw and his writing banned marking the beginning of Protestantism and the Protestant Church. Although his teachings were banned Protestantism still spread and by 1531 some princes had converted to Protestantism and formed their own League within the Empire called the Schmalkaldic League to . The schism within the Empire weakened it due to infighting between Catholic and Protestant Princes which could be seen in the formation of Schmalkaldic League.
Charles V |