German Peasants Dbq

German peasants faced monetary injustices and oppression from their lords during the 16th century which sparked revolts to occur in 1524. The peasants sought to overthrow the feudal system as they realized that they were being treated unjustly by their lords with the unsuitable compensation they were receiving for their labor and the heavy taxes that were being placed on them. Religious teachings such as of those of Martin Luther were also a motive behind the revolts. The primary causes of the German peasants’ revolts were based off of economic and religious factors. These revolts provoked many responses by figures of nobility and citizens that varied from disapproval to those of sympathy.

A major factor that caused the peasant revolts

were the economic problems and oppression that the peasants faced against their lords. Remarks made in The Twelve Articles of the Swabian Peasants from Sebastian Lotzer and Christoph Schappler expresses the peasants’ feelings about the lords’ unfair treatment towards them and their demand for economic equality based on the agreement they made (doc 2). Lotzer and Schappler say that the lords should stop forcing the peasants into labor without paying them for their efforts. They also claimed that the peasants should help the lords when it is necessary; however the services forced on the peasants should not harm or deprive the peasant in any form and should pay them an equal amount that would reflect based on their work efforts. Coming from Lotzer, who was not only a lay preacher but also a craftsperson, this may have reflected on his own personal experiences of being put under labor with an unsuitable compensation meaning that he too faced the oppression and monetary injustices that the peasants’ faced with their lords, making his remarks biased as he could say this to get back at the lords for putting him under such labor without compensation. In a secret report to the Archbishop of Würzburg, Lorenz Fries wrote about the peasants’ belief in brotherhood and equality hence they believed that the rich nobiles should share their wealth with the poor lower classes (doc 8). This report emphasized the peasants’ desire for equality economically as they thought it was just and fair that the rich should share with the poor. Lorenz Fries is writing this secret report to the an archbishop, a person of nobility who may be a victim of the peasant revolts, because then he can include some of his own personal thoughts and honest opinions into it knowing that the information inside the report and the receiver of the report would be unknown to the public as it would not be published. In a letter to Duke Albert of Prussia, Caspar Nützel writes about the peasants being oppressed and abused by their lords and how excessive the lords have overworked the peasants and have treated them unfairly (doc 9). Nützel emphasizes the role that the lords should play; he writes that the lords should defend and rule the peasants rather than trying to swindle them. Nützel was a town councilor, which made him a government official, his emphasis on the excessive unfair treatment towards the peasants gave the revolts a sense of justification as it made sense for the peasants to revolt after all that they've been through. His position of high status would affect him as the peasants would try to target him; however knowing that he has sided with the peasants, they may leave him alone, thus he may have said this to prevent peasants from attacking him.

Another reason as to why the peasant revolts occurred was due to religious teachings.

In a report to Duke Ludwig of Bavaria from Leonhard Von Eck, the Chancellor of Bavaria, he writes that the source of the revolts comes from Lutheran teachings (doc 1). He wrote that the peasants’ tactics of revolting were based off of Lutheran and biblical teachings, thus the motive behind the peasants’ violent actions were religiously influenced. Leonhard was the Chancellor of Bavaria, a predominantly Catholic region, thus he himself may have been a Catholic, which would be reasonable as to why he would blame Lutheran teachings for being a main source in causing the revolts. At the time Catholics rejected Lutheran teachings because it went against Catholic teachings and did not believe that the pope held any divine authority. It would only make sense for Leonhard to say that Lutheran teachings were to blame because it went against his own religion. Seeing as the actions of the peasants’ were influenced by religious teachings, in an open letter to the people of Allstedt, Thomas Müntzer justifies the actions of the peasants and the revolt as “God’s will” (doc 6). Thomas was a theologian and a preacher and so he wrote an open letter to the people because he has a major influence on the people as they will listen to him and most likely support what he will say. Thomas’ message was to support the peasants and so he knew the influence he had on the public hence why he wrote an open letter telling people to support the peasants knowing that there will be individuals who are willing to support them as

well.

The responses towards the revolts varied from one individual to another. Martin Luther disapproved of the peasants’ revolts in Against the Murdering, Thieving Hordes of Peasants where he describes the actions of the peasants to be of that like mad dogs and blames the revolts on Thomas Müntzer (doc 7). The main reason why Martin Luther disapproved of the revolts was because his teachings were the source behind the motives of the peasants’ actions and he did not want his name or works to be associated with the peasants as people may think that he is the one who started the revolts. In a report by Pastor Johann Herolt, he reports about the events that occurred at Weinsburg saying that the townsfolk were peasant supporters (doc 5). Although the townsfolk were not committed to the peasants, they still open up the gates for them and let them in. As a Pastor, Johann Herolt most likely reported this because his job is to understand people and try to relate with them on a spiritual and emotional level. When he describes that the people were not committed to the peasants yet they still opened up the doors for them he's trying to show that he was able to understand the townsfolk decision to open up the doors for them as they sympathized with the peasants knowing the hardships they've gone through under the harsh treatment of their lords.

Ultimately economic and religious factors were the primary causes of the peasants’ revolts in German states. The desire to be free from serfdom and have economic equality made the peasants revolt against higher nobility. The peasants revolted using violent tactics because it was based off religious teachings that they followed which made them revolt. Many people had different outlooks on the revolts, some disapproved of the revolt while others sympathized with the peasants.