At the year 1524, Martin Luther, a significant figure in the Reformation and the founder of Lutheranism, had just finished hiding in Frederick the Wise’s Saxony castle after the Edict of Worms declared that he was an “outlaw” of the Holy Roman Empire. Luther’s action that led up to this event was the publication of the 95 Theses in 1517, which denounced indulgences and attacked the corruption of the papacy. Luther was able to remain hidden due to the extreme decentralization of the Holy Roman Empire. Emperor Charles V could not devote much of his attention to Luther, as he was controlling Spain, The Holy Roman Empire, and the New World.
The peasants disliked quite a few things and in 1524-1526 they expressed the ideas of them being equal with their lords (masters), and to be led and taught about the Lutheran religion. Document One states, “The peasants are blinded, led astray, and made witless.” meaning that they had no guide or source of the Lutheran teachings. The peasants wanted to be with the lords in church to get a proper knowledge of Lutheranism,. However, the lords did not want them to cause trouble in their church
Luther’s radical new ideas regarding religion excited the peasants of the German states and his ideas stated in documents such as his 95 theses acted as a catalyst for the revolts that erupted in the lower class between the years 1524 and 1526. Peasants believed the cause of these revolts were the mistreatment they received from their lords and ruling princes. Their acts of revolution were largely based on new radical ideas surrounding religion, and some even saw it as God’s will. A third cause cited by the peasants was a need for their release from serfdom.
The peasant revolts in the German states from 1524-1526 were caused primarily by the extended manipulation of many Lutheran ideals, as well as grievances toward their lords and superiors, while the responses of this revolt were solely condemning of those participating. The compassionate doctrines of the recently introduced lutheran doctrines provided much justification for the Peasant revolts of the 1520’s. Documents one and three demonstrate this idea of Lutheranism. Document one is of Leonhard von Eck, the Chancellor of Bavaria as he reports to the Duke of Bavaria.
“This rebellion has been undertaken to repress the princes and the nobility and has its ultimate source in Lutheran teaching, for the peasants relate the majority of their demands to the Word of God, the Gospel, and brotherly love.” (Doc. 1) This article sourced from the Chancellor of Bavaria shows how the peasant's view of lutheranism has sparked the revolt. Even in document 3 the Peasant Parliament of Swabia says that christ is the emperor, meaning that he controls everything and the actions they are committing is in is name again reveals a source for their outrage against the wealthy. “It is clear that the assertions they made in their Twelve Articles were nothing but lies presented under the name of the Gospel.”
How did the Protestant Reformation shape society in 16th century Western Europe? When looking back at the Protestant Reformation, what caused society to struggle in 16th century Western Europe? The Protestent Reformation changed how people saw religion from the words of the Pope and Council, but also showed how the printing press spread the word of the Bible. The lower levels of hierarchy and the towns outside reach of the Bible were given the word of God and this shaped what is now known as Christianity. From the words of Martin Luther, a German priest, the Pope and Council altered God’s words, but how did this cycle back into the hardships the people faced in these times? Martin Luther, a German priest, author, and professor, brought up a valuable question.
The peasants’ revolts in the German states occurred after the Reformation had gripped Europe. Religious figures at this time such as Martin Luther, and John Calvin, as well as writings like The Ninety-Five Theses, incited many peasants to look with new ideas about Catholicism and the clergy, which led to a call for reform, and later rebellion, the causes of which were mainly the oppression of lords against the lay people economically and physically, as well as extreme Lutheran teaching. Martin Luther, and those that were accused of the oppression, the nobles, responded by saying those that took part in the rebellion were unchristian, and should submit to proper authority, shaping the conflict and the rebellion.
Social DBQ Beginning in the 16th century, there was a growing unrest among the serfs primarily in modern day Germany. High taxes, joined with the fact that peasants had no opportunity to increase their social standing, let alone the right to do so, gave an atmosphere of disaccord between the noble, and lower class. Internalizing the egalitarian ideologies of Martin Luther, it was easy for the peasants to feel like they had greater place in among society. However, due to semi-feudalistic attitudes of those days, peasants were the lowest social class and needed to stay that way for such a social structure to function. Martin Luther’s teachings that through faith everyone could be equal in God’s eyes gave peasants a false sense of equality,
In the early 1500s there were both economic and religious causes of German peasants revolts along with negative and positive responses to these rebellions. Germany in the early 1500s was fragmented by religion and social class. Revolts among the lower classes became relevant after the Renaissance, the posting of Martin Luther’s 95 theses in 1517, and after the Edict and Diet of Worms in 1521. Since the idea of humanism and the formation of the Protestant branch of religion, the peasants of Germany were dissatisfied with their religious and economic lives which led to revolts. As a result, several world leaders opinionated their different views which consisted of wether the rebellions in Germany were harmful or beneficial to the community.
The Reformation caused many who were born into lower classes to question the social caste system as Luther had questioned the church, which eventually lead to the Peasant Revolt of 1524. This Revolt spawned The Twelve Articles of the Swabian Peasants, which stated, “It has been customary for men to hold us as their property [as serfs]. But since Christ redeemed us all, it accords with Scripture that we should be set free.” This shows the peasants were slaves of that time as they were “held as property” by the people in power, however, even with the peasants best efforts they were “shut down” swiftly by the lords and princes. At the beginning of the Revolution, Martin Luther gave his sympathies to the peasants, but once the peasants began to pillage, burn, and kill he decided to side with the princes and lords.
Martin Luther was very angry about this, he believed that they forgot their place in the society, and how they are just peasants, nothing more (Document 5). Luther believed they were liars, and their Articles were not inspired by God. Lastly, Caspar Nützel hoped that God would grant peace throughout the society. As said by him in document 6, “It is indeed true that the poor, blind, and ignorant peasants have overstepped the mark with their unseemly behavior.” Caspar’s perspective of religion, along with the others, caused the uprising of peasants in
Martin Luther was an Augustinian monk who had a spiritual crisis. He deeply wanted to be a good person, but he saw that there was so much corruption in the church. He saw that the priests were doing many immoral things. The priests created something called indulgences where it was stated that anyone could be absolved of their sins by paying money. They would then make multiple offices and continue this scam so that they would get more money from people.
The opposition Luther took against the Church soon had an instant impact on peasants. Individuals began to form opinions on both political and religious fields, but they had failed to interpret the beliefs of Luther correctly.
Among these theses, Luther disliked one more than the rest, the sale of indulgences. Indulgences are the forgiveness of sins from God, and church officials would use these to exploit the working and peasants, to gain even more wealth. The people loved that Luther brought these issues up and protested the corrupt church, but the Roman Catholic Clergy and Pope Leo X thought that these theses were nonsense saying “some drunken German who will amend his ways when he sobers up.” (Spielvogel et al. 173). This quote reveals that the church needed the ideas and theses of Luther to stop as a way to maintain exploiting the poor for money.
Luther writes “Enough has now been said about the failings of the clergy….. We shall now devote a section to the failings of the temporal estate.” Luther denounces the practice of purchasing annuities, which forced many peasants to lose their land, and excesses in dress and possessions among the nobility. Though Luther was calling for Godly self-regulation amongst the nobility, it is easy to see how the impoverished could interpret his writings as a call to rise against the nobility. Though he condemns the actions of the peasants revolting in Admonition to Peace: A Reply to the Twelve Articles April 1525 Luther also provides fuel to the peasants’ rebellion in his letter To the Princes and Lords.
