Peasants’ War refers to the rebellion of German peasants against their lords in 1524 and 1525. This was the greatest mass uprising in German history. The rebellion broke out late in 1524 at Stuhlingen in the Black Forest and swiftly spread northward. Soon all Germany, except Bavaria, felt its impact.
The peasants stormed the castles and forced the nobles to grant their demands. Their flag, called the Bundschuh, was a black, white, and red cloth with a picture of a peasant’s shoe.
The peasants had grumbled over the ever-increasing dues and services demanded by the princes for 50 years. The teachings of Martin Luther contributed to the peasants’ rebellious feelings. The peasants hoped for and needed Luther’s support of their uprising. However, he rejected their charter of liberties. Luther urged the peasants to lay down their arms. When the peasants did not do what he suggested, Luther summoned the lords in a pamphlet to strike down and stab the rebels “like mad dogs.” The nobility killed as many as 100,000 peasants before the rebellion ended. The loss of so many people eliminated the peasantry as a political factor for the next 300 years.
