Which of the Following Was the Most Common Argument the City-States

Multiple Choice

Which of the following was the most common argument the city-states of northern Italy used to justify their de facto independence from the Holy Roman Empire?

A) As Italians, they should not be ruled by Germans.
B) Customary feudal subjection should be adjusted to fit a changing reality.
C) They were still loyal to the descendent of Charlemagne and believed that the Emperors of the fourteenth century were usurpers.
D) Their preference was to be dominated by the pope.
E) none of the above