DBQ: Peasants’ revolts
From 1524 to 1526 peasant revolts were occurring throughout the German states. Many causes and responses brewed out of these revolts. One cause is from religion issues (1,3,6) , Luther’s idea of equality. Another cause is the peasant gaining power (2,8,9). As a result of these causes came out response, the most common response was riots and chaos (5,11,7). These revolts would end in thousands of rebel deaths and others are also killed.
In the early 1500s religious reforms were constant throughout all of Germany, including the ideas of Martin Luther. Martin Luther brought the idea of equality to the peasants (1,3,6) , which in term started the revolts. In document 1 Leonhard van Eck states that the peasants were
What Martin Luther says in document 7 is a response to Muntzer in 6. Luther is very much against the rebellion and says Muntzer is devilish and so are the peasants and that they are going against God by rebellion. Again the response to the revolt is chaos in towns. Although this document should be taken into consideration because Luther might be saying this to still be funded by the princes, who are against the rebellion, he is trying to save himself. If the peasants fail and he were to side with them he would be kicked out of Germany with no money. This document also shows some witchcraft accusations against the peasants from Luther. Document 11 also explains the revolt in a journalist way accept it is a noble’s point of view. He says that the peasants are crazy and that they burned all the noble’s houses. This document could be biased in that it is written by a noble and it is about all that the nobles endured when the peasants came and razed the town. The author is only a count and could want to get higher in ranks or if he is supporting the peasants he is trying to save himself from being discovered.
In the early 1520s the peasants revolted in the German states. One cause of these rebellions is Luther’s idea of equality reaching the peasants and then they revolt. Also the peasants gaining power helped to start the revolts, with the causes comes responses. A