What could a King do, if his nobles didn't want to participate in war? (Or where disloyal otherwise)

by Repyl

What power does a king have over the estates/nobles? They control the armies, so why should they ever listen to a king?

For example, the Elector of Brandenburg had som estates around 1600 that had no interest in the expansionist policies of the Elector, so they didn't want to join him in war. What can the Elector do about it?

Mainly looking for examples in the time period 1550-1618 in the HRE, but I would be just as happy to learn about the dilemma in other regions and periods.

Elm11

Hiya!

Would you please be able to clarify which region and period you're asking about? Your example is drawn from the Holy Roman Empire in 1600, so if you're referring to that region and period, it'll be far easier to answer.

Thanks!