German Peasants' War Erupts

1524

Inspired by Luther's rhetoric of Christian liberty, peasants in Swabia, Thuringia, and Franconia rose against their landlords demanding lower rents and common pastures. They articulated their demands in the Twelve Articles, the first printed manifesto of mass grievance in European history. The rebellion would end in massacre. The uprising, involving perhaps three hundred thousand peasants, was the largest popular rebellion before the French Revolution.