The Protestant Reformation was a movement that challenged the authority and doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century. It had a significant impact on the social and political situation of Europe, especially on the peasants who were oppressed and exploited by the feudal lords and the church.
One of the main effects of the Protestant thought on the peasant demands was that it provided them with a religious justification for their resistance and rebellion. The peasants interpreted some of the teachings of Martin Luther, such as the priesthood of all believers, the freedom of conscience, and the rejection of papal authority, as supporting their claims for more rights and autonomy. They also saw Luther as a champion of their cause, since he had criticized the corruption and abuses of the church and the nobility.
However, Luther himself did not support the peasant uprising, which he saw as a violent and disorderly revolt against the God-given authorities. He wrote a pamphlet titled Against the Murderous, Thieving Hordes of Peasants, in which he condemned the peasants as rebels and urged the princes to crush them mercilessly. Luther believed that the peasants had misused his doctrine of spiritual freedom to justify their worldly and material demands. He also feared that the peasant revolt would discredit his reformation movement and provoke a harsh reaction from the Catholic powers.
The peasant demands were also influenced by other factors, such as the economic and social changes brought by the end of feudalism, the rise of capitalism, and the enclosure of common lands. The peasants wanted to improve their living conditions and secure their rights to land, fishing, hunting, and justice. They also sought to reform the church according to their own needs and preferences, such as choosing their own pastors, abolishing tithes, and reducing clerical privileges.
The peasant demands were articulated in a document known as the Twelve Articles of Memmingen, which was widely circulated and adopted by many peasant groups in Germany. The Twelve Articles combined religious and secular grievances and appealed to both Scripture and natural law as their sources of authority. The document also expressed a hope for a peaceful resolution of the conflict through negotiation and arbitration.
However, the peasant demands were largely ignored or rejected by the rulers, who saw them as a threat to their power and order. The peasants’ war was brutally suppressed by the combined forces of the Catholic and Protestant princes, who were united by their common interest in maintaining their domination over the lower classes. The peasants suffered heavy losses in lives and property, and their hopes for a better future were dashed. The peasants’ war also had a negative impact on the Protestant Reformation, as it alienated many potential supporters and provoked a backlash from the Catholic Church.