Why Were Outside European Powers Able to Impose Their Wills

Why were outside European powers able to impose their wills upon Italian states in the sixteenth century?

A) The Italians were never known for their military prowess.
B) Almost all humanists were pacifists and urged negotiation over armed conflict.
C) The papacy declared that the only just wars were wars directed against Muslims; thus, Italian states were unprepared for defensive wars.
D) Monarchical states had so many more resources, including improved military technology, than the smaller Italian city-states.
E) The Italians mistakenly relied on their financial power instead of military forces to sway international negotiations.