German Peasant Revolts of 1524-1526

911 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Martin Luther on the Christian Church

In late 1524, German peasants believed that they were being mistreated and, therefore, created a revolt against the government. To this, the government responded in violence by killing over 100,000 rebels. These German peasant revolts were mainly caused by economic issues and the widespread belief and misuse of the Lutheran ideology. In response to this revolt, some key figures acted cooperative, while others acted in a violent and non-sympathetic manner. One of the reasons the serfs led an uprise against the government in the early 1520s was a wanting for economic equality. In a letter written from a Count to a Duke, describes the attacks the peasants were planning and executing in which they attacked the houses of the nobility (Doc 11). The peasants started with the most wealthy individuals and stealing possessions from wealthy areas (like consuming all that was available in the monasteries) and then continued to attack other rick noblemen is descending order of wealth. This systematic approach of attacking the wealthy, and the wealthiest first, shows the dislike by the peasants for the economic system at the time. In addition, in an article written by peasants, called Twelve Articles of the Swabian Peasants, the peasants demanded better compensations for the services they provided their lords (Doc 2). They believed that they were being severely underpaid and were suffering conditions almost equal of that to a slave. They believe that they are simply demanding what is, in their opinion, just. On another instance, in 1525, in a letter written to the Archbishop of Wurzburg by an unknown source, the peasants demand a wealth redistribution (Doc 8). Lorenz Fries, the chief advisor to the Archbishop, discusses that the secret lett... ... middle of paper ... ...tin Luther, who castigated the peasants (Doc 7). He saw the revolt as little use and recommended to the peasants that they quit revolting, and instead begin obeying their authoritative leaders. In addition, the Holy Roman Empire’s diet in 1526 gave lords and noblemen the right to restore their estate to the environment from before the revolts. This including restoring their serfs and do with them what they, the rich, wished. This uncooperative and hostile reaction by many to the German peasant revolts from 1524-1526 was a common occurrence and reaction many individuals of the time showed. The serfs were driven by economic and religious motives when they decided to revolt from 1524-1526. To this revolt, many individuals responded in a calm and supportive manner, while others hostilely condemned the peasants and their revolting, while often inflicting harm upon them.

Show More
Related

  • Essay On The Effects Of The Protestant Reformation

    474 Words  | 1 Pages

    Social changes after the Reformation progressed and the power occurred. The local rulers and nobles collected after the clergy began to lose authority. Peasants revolted and resentful, the actions were condemned by Luther. The freedom the attempt from oppression and even death for some reason. The Reformation seemed to calm the peasants opportunity to challenge their place in the structure classes. One of the effects was when the lessening influence the Catholic Church and the rulers wanted to be less involved in matters of states. Clearly in England as Henry VIII break from papal authority and

    Read More

  • Comparing the Western Rebellion and Kett's Rebellion in Terms of Causes and Threat

    739 Words  | 2 Pages

    Comparing the Western Rebellion and Kett's Rebellion in Terms of Causes and Threat The year 1549 in which both rebellions took place was a troublesome year for the Lord Protector, at the time, Somerset. It was plagued with bad harvests, inflation, poverty and war. These factors made 1549 a watershed year for rioting and rebellion. Though these are the only two rebellions that posed a serious threat, they were definitely not unique.

    Read More

  • Paxton Boys And The Regulator Movement Analysis

    1284 Words  | 3 Pages

    Before the American Revolution, there were social and economic changes which upset frontiersmen. They became agitated due to their social situation with Indians and their failing local government. In response to these annoyances, frontiersmen chose to use violence to achieve their demands. During this period of civil unrest, two attempted revolutions in particular made national headlines: The March of the Paxton Boys and The Regulator Movement. The movements differed because the Paxton Boys demanded social change while the Regulator Movement called for economic change. Both revolutions were similar because they used violence as a way to achieve their demands. The Paxton Boys rallied around the concept of retaliation against Indians; The

    Read More

  • Peasants Revolt Dbq

    627 Words  | 2 Pages

    The causes of the peasants’ revolt included lack of compensation for services, feelings of spiritual inequality, lords refusing peasant freedom without reimbursement, and the peasants’ manipulation of Lutheran principles; while the responses to the revolt incorporated negativity, violence, and authority

    Read More

  • The Feudal System In Lanval By Mari De France

    1719 Words  | 4 Pages

    The importance and job of each class fail to function optimally. The castles were rooted economically in the countryside which was intimately connected with the villagers. These villagers were the “social and economic units of rural Europe” (147) which illustrates the importance of the various classes in medieval Europe. Undermining the lower social classes will cause political and social upheaval as they collectively dominate the economic force in the feudal system. Few individual commoners mask the

    Read More

  • Economic Tensions And Historical Conflicts In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

    2240 Words  | 5 Pages

    opposition, and overthrown the laws of the land, and was preying upon the people.” In

    Read More

  • German Peasants' Revolt: A Failed Revolution

    1779 Words  | 4 Pages

    This lies in the idea that the peasantry and lower classes did not gain anything from the revolt and in fact faced huge losses. As it stands Engels has also argued that ‘the sole gainers under these conditions were the princes’ further suggesting that one of the defining factors of a failed a revolution is the fact that there is no gain for the rebels. Theda Skocpol’s definition of a revolution further supports this theory as she suggests ‘rebellions, even when successful, may involve the revolt of subordinate classes – but they do not eventuate in structural change’. This idea of a lack of structural change is formative in the conclusion that the German Peasants’ Revolt failed to create any lasting change or impact and thus generally failed as a revolution. In addition to this one of the major consequential factors of the German Peasants’ Revolt was the fact that none of the independent groups involved in the revolt could come together for a common aim. This meant the needs of the peasantry were not understood by the middle class thus isolating the working class and eventually leading to the mass slaughter of many working class farmers who made up the bulk of the German Peasants’ Revolt. A smaller scale impact of the German Peasants’ Revolt was ‘the cost of suppressing the rebellion’ which was perhaps

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of The Bacon's Rebellion

    955 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rebellions have always been prominent in America; most recently the Ferguson riots in Missouri. These citizens are rebelling against American police, because they believe blacks aren’t treated with the same respect than white people. Although, The first recorded rebellion that occurred in America is known as the Bacon’s Rebellion. A rebellion against the English government by a man named Nathaniel Bacon. Nathaniel Bacon was brought up as a moderately rich and powerful man. He was known as a “young, bold, active, of an inviting aspect, and powerful elocution” (Beverley pg. 2). Nathaniel Bacon can be remembered as a hero for leading a lower class against a “corrupt” government and creating unity between communities, but it also can be argued

    Read More

  • Scarlet Letter Rebellion Vs Rebellion

    970 Words  | 2 Pages

    Historical abolitionist Frederick Douglas famously once said “The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion.” Rebellion only happens because a group of individuals is dissatisfied with authority. Without this conflict between society and authority, humanity will not advance. Many conflicts occur frequently, but what is the frequency of individuals rebelling against authority? Some may choose to believe that this conflict is a rare occurrence, while many authors throughout history may believe that rebellion occurs more often than one might think. Rebellions against society can all be refined down to a rebellious action, a reason for rebellion, and a response from authority.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Martin Luther's Letter To The Christian Nobility Of The German Government

    1319 Words  | 3 Pages

    The political organization and religion aspects during the 16th century influenced Protestant Reformation to occur in Germany. Martin Luther’s writings reflect on his views and perspectives of German politics and religion at the time. Martin Luther’s ideas in the Letter to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation and The Statement of Grievances mentions Martin Luther’s thoughts about how corrupt the church is, why the corruption in the church needs to end, and what Martin Luther’s ideas are to change the way of the church.

    Read More

  • Reasons for the Peasant´s Revolt

    744 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Peasant’s Revolt occurred in 1525 because the wealth of the nation was not being distributed among the people equivalent, in conjunction with the wealth not being equally divided the sharecropper wanted serfdom to be abolished. The farmhands used the Word of God to show they were in the right to rebel. Public affairs also had a role in the revolution. The laborers forced the hand of the nobles to collaborate in the insubordination.

    Read More

  • Martin Luther And The Reformation Of The Reformation In Europe

    1065 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the early 16th century, the church was the most powerful institution in Europe, even stronger than government; however, in 1517, Martin Luther, a professor in Northern Germany, posted criticisms of the church on a chapel door which would cause profound reformation of the religious system in Europe. When the dissent spread out to the world, the Catholic religion was shattered and many people of high social rank, such as king and princes, either defended or opposed Luther’s argument. Also, most people left the Catholic Church and became Protestants. What made everything turn to chaos after Luther published his thesis and what happened after this?

    Read More

  • Peasants Dbq

    920 Words  | 2 Pages

    After the emancipation of the Russian Peasantry, land was given to the peasants. This was between 1861 and 1866, but because the nobility had lost their land when the peasants were given land, the peasants had to pay a tax until 1905. As the years passed, the land allotted to each person decreased from 13.8 acres to 7.3 acres as the population increased. Due to this increase in population and decrease in land, a series of famines struck the rural areas. As the peasants mainly occupied the rural areas, they were perceived to be living in poor conditions by the Russian people, and as response to their conditions, peasants started taking a stand, and voicing their opinions; change was proposed in the end when peasants were given more freedom,

    Read More

  • Comparing The Us Constitution

    1260 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the years leading up to World War I, social unrest among the Russian people was spreading rapidly. There was a huge social gulf between the peasants who were former serfs and the landowners. The peasants regarded anyone who did not work as a parasite. They had always regarded as all land belonging to them. They regarded any land retained by the landowners at the time serfs were freed as stolen and only force could prevent them from taking it back. By the time Russia entered the war, one peasant rebellion had already been suppressed and several socialist revolutionary movements were developing.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Peasants Revolt

    1582 Words  | 4 Pages

    Charles Oman and his monograph The Great Revolt of 1381 expanded on the events leading up to the pockets of rebellions that would soon swept England in fire and ruin and then at the end the last surviving band of insurgents were hunted down and executed. Oman and the direction of his monograph was that the direction the nation was heading to and the reason behind the constant fail of the wars between France was due to the "personnel of the King's Council who wish to persevere in the struggle." Oman's monograph helped established the timeline of the revolt with events leading up to 1381, during the revolts, and the conclusion when England have sent out the royal army to suppress the revolt after the death of Wat Tyler. His approach was to break up the course of the revolt into chapters detailing on information that was crucial to how each event had a hand in what was soon to become the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. His research involved using Andre Reville transcripts of documents that he was able to acquire. It was through these transcripts that allowed Oman to rewrite the history of the Revolt. Though Muller's paper is published twelve years later after Oman's monograph the connection between each other can be seen as both saw how diverse the Peasant Revolt was as there were multiple small rebellions throughout England involving a wide spectrum of people. Oman argues that these rebellions and revolt was very bloody and violent due to the type of individuals while Muller approach was that it was due to a long term tense

    Read More

More about German Peasant Revolts of 1524-1526

Open Document