The Protestant Reformation was a religious, social, economic, and political revolution that was sparked when a Catholic monk named Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of his local church. Luther believed the Catholic Church was corrupt, and he sought to reform it.
There were a number of political, social and religious causes for the reformation. It was because of the ideals of significant figures such as Martin Luther that these protests were successful and led to major changes. Before the Protestant Reformation, almost all Christians in Europe were roman catholic.