During an age of political and religious hardening, calls for conciliation and moderation sometimes amount to little. Sixteenth-century princes, counsellors and theologians often looked inward when under threat, preferring to solidify their own positions rather than extend resources to others. Ideologically, some influential churchmen – in England and Germany – wanted to define their Churches so precisely that they forged identities in opposition to others. After all, the notion of ‘truth’ is unique; if one claims sole possession of it, another necessarily cannot, and ought to be condemned. Such a fractious environment produced deep-seated divides within the Protestant world and presented challenges to those advocating a closer relationship between England and the Protestant Princes of the Holy Roman Empire.

The early Elizabethan leadership understood themselves not as the singular proprietors of the right in God's righteousness, but rather as one component of many opposed to Catholicism. The formulation of the Queen's domestic and foreign policies accounted for variation among Protestants and assessed the religio-political contours of greater Germania with remarkable accuracy. Taking into consideration these issues, this chapter analyses the diplomatic implementation of Elizabeth's German policy between 1560 and 1576. It proceeds chronologically to emphasize the consistent yet evolving efforts for an alliance. Illustrating the effect of an English ideology open to German Protestantism, the discussion provides context for the most critical year of English activity in Germany, 1577.