A History of Modern Europe - From the Renaissance to the Present

98 Ch. 3 • The Two Reformations

Map 3.1 The Peasants’ Revolt, 1525-1526 Sites of peasant uprisings in

parts of the central and southern German states. The revolt began in Waldshut and

Sttthlingen in the southern German states and spread east to the Tyrol and

Salzburg in Austria, and north to Thuringia and Saxony.

“Christian freedom,” which he believed applied only to the spiritual realm,

could be extended into the relationship between lord and peasant. Luther

asked lords to “act rationally” and “try kindness” when confronted by peas­

ant demands. As nobles and churchmen began to accuse him of fomenting

insurrection, he denounced the peasants in extravagant language. In

Against the Murdering, Thieving Hordes of Peasants, he advised the Ger­

man princes to “brandish their swords.... You cannot meet a rebel with

reason. Your best answer is to punch him in the face until he has a bloody

nose.” Catliolic and reformed princes put aside their differences to crush

the revolt, in which more than 100,000 peasants perished. Miinzer was

defeated, captured, tortured, and beheaded.

The Spread of the Reformation

Because of the intertwining of religion and politics, what began as a

movement for Church reform became entangled in princely rivalries in

the German states. As the breach between Catholic and reformed princes

widened, religion became a source of division rather than of unity.