On March 26, 1545, the city council in Donauwörth sent a delegation to its southern neighbor Augsburg. Drawing on the traditionally close ties between the cities, Donauwörth's magistrates sought Augsburg's protection against the arrival of Spanish soldiers. The troops, who were under Habsburg command, had been ordered to the Turkish wars in Hungary by King Ferdinand. On their way, they were scheduled to stop at Donauwörth to board ships supplied by the local council. Donauwörth possessed neither the funds nor the ability to accommodate the soldiers, and the council feared “should [the Spaniards]…receive word…[we] have recently introduced religious change, they will be inclined toward dangerous action against [our] city.” Augsburg's council agreed to send a detachment of troops to protect its neighbor, despite Donauwörth's decision three weeks earlier to adopt reform modeled on Nuremberg rather than Augsburg. This action had directly contradicted the wishes of Augsburg's magistrates and temporarily soured relations between the cities. In its time of need, however, Donauwörth's council apologized to its neighbor that it “has not followed your example in all things, most notably in the acceptance of free Christian teaching and the Gospel, as well as the outward ceremonies of the Church.” It had acted out of “great cautiousness,” but Augsburg's magistrates remained its “dear sirs and fathers.” The council hoped “with time God may grant a better opportunity to act with less fear.”