was proving itself too strong for the power of
the emperor, the recognised representative of
centralised authority for the whole German-
speaking world. This meant the undermining
and eventual disruption of the smaller social
and political unities, ¹ the knightly manors with
the privileges attached to the knightly class
generally. The knighthood, or lower nobility,
had acted as a sort of buffer between the
princes of the empire and the imperial power,
to which they often looked for protection
against their immediate overlord or their power-
ful neighbour--the prince. The imperial power,
in consequence, found the lower nobility a
bulwark against its princely vassals. Economic
changes, the suddenly increased demand for
money owing to the rise of the "world-market,"
new inventions in the art of war, new methods
of fighting, the rapidly growing importance of
artillery and the increase of the mercenary
soldiery, had rendered the lower nobility, as an

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