1984 in 1530

As I've read about diplomacy and war in the Reforming period, I was startled to run across the letter of a papal legate (representative) to Charles V, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German States. Charles V was nearly constantly at war with Francis I, king of France. It seems the pope usually allied himself with the underdog in these types of wars, because he never wanted a king or emperor to get so strong as to threaten Rome and the Papal States. Charles V was in some way over Germany, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands (including Belgium), south Italy and Austria. Francis I was over . . . France. But Francis was the only hope to keep Charles from overthrowing all of Europe and uniting the continent under the control of the Habsburg family. In fact, Francis was so desperate at one point that he allied himself with Suleiman of the Turks to attack Charles through Austria. Francis even oversaw Suleiman's fleet as they captured Nice.

Following is text from the Catholic Encyclopedia about Pope Clement VII and his relationships with Francis and Charles:

"When Clement was crowned, Francis I and the Emperor Charles V were at war. Charles had supported Clement's candidature and hoped much from his friendship with the Medici, but barely a year had elapsed after his election before the new pope concluded a secret treaty with France. The pitched battle which was fought between Francis and the imperial commanders at Pavia in February, 1525, ending in the defeat and captivity of the French king, put into Charles' hands the means of avenging himself. Still he used his victory with moderation. The terms of the Treaty of Madrid (14 January, 1526) were not really extravagant, but Francis seems to have signed with the deliberate intention of breaking his promises, though confirmed by the most solemn of oaths. That Clement, instead of accepting Charles' overtures, should have made himself a party to the French king's perfidy and should have organized a league with France, Venice, and Florence, signed at Cognac, 22 May, 1526, must certainly have been regarded by the emperor as almost unpardonable provocation. No doubt Clement was moved by genuine patriotism in his distrust of imperial influence in Italy and especially by anxiety for his native Florence. Moreover, he chafed under dictation which seemed to him to threaten the freedom of the Church."

This was followed by more political and military nastiness. Brewing under all of this was the fact that Luther and the other reformers were continuing to study and take steps that eventually precipitated a full break with Mother Church. However, the pope was keen for Charles to take steps against them. But Charles was distracted by wars all around. At different times he did battle with France, the Ottoman Empire, and the pope. No wonder he didn't take care of the reformers. In 1530, there was enough peace for Clement's legate Cardinal Campeggio to write to Charles the following text in response to the Augsburg Confession: "Most Invincible, Imperial, and Catholic Majesty! . . . In the first place, I say that in order to facilitate this business it will be very much to the point if your Catholic Majesty with your very great authority, and then with the help of such Catholic Princes as shall seem best to you, should with every care try and strive to bring into the right and Catholic road some of these Princes, even if you cannot bring all who have subscribed to these articles and propositions [the Augsburg Confession] . . . " (Lindberg, The European Reformations Sourcebook, p 154).

I couldn't help remembering the book 1984 where Eastasia, Oceania, and Eurasia were constantly warring against one or the other of the parties. When they would ally themselves with the other empire that they had just been warring against and then attack their previous ally, they would change all the news reports from generations before, so that they read that they had *always* been at war with that empire.

To be fair, the pope and Francis had recently been utterly defeated by Charles, but it sure sounds like the sort of historiographic sycophancy used to great effect in 1984. "We've always been your friend! Do what we want you to do! (Before we betray you again!)" And these are our religious forebears (unless you're Orthodox).