Franken & German Peasants' War - 1524 to 1525 AD

History SOURCE Primary https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Peasants%27_War Franken German 'Franken' =  Franconia (region) Franconia  -- characterised by East Franconian culture & dialects Commonly refers to -- eastern part of historic Franconian Stem duchy -- now mainly in modern Bavarian districts of:     -- Lower Franconia     -- Middle Franconia     -- Upper Franconia     -- Heibronn-Franken (nth-eastern parts), Baden-Wurttemberg     -- Thuringia, parts south of Rennsteig ridge     -- small parts of Hesse -- ie Franconian lands principally in Bavaria -- north and south of River Main -- and Regnitz & Pegnitz streams -- other rivers:  Werra (Thuringia) -- Tauber -- Jagst -- Kocher -- Altmul (middle Franconia) flows towards Danube -- Rhine-Main-Danube Canal crosses European Watershed Franconia -- named after the Franks -- Germanic tribe who conquered most of Western Europe mid 700s AD -- Franconia likely homeland of Franks -- in German, 'Franken' refers to both modern-day Franconians & to historic Franks -- to 500 AD Franconia region likely dominated by Alamanni & Thuringians -- 507 AD - Franks defeated both tribes -- 529-534 -- most parts Franconia occupied by the Franks -- circa 800s AD - Frankish identity moved from ethnic identity to national identity -- no longer self-identified 'Franks' or called 'Franks' by others -- BUT other groups who were not Franks but were mostly ruled by Frankish nobility -- began to use term to describe their land and people -- start 900s AD - Duchy of Franconia -- German:  Herzogtum Franken -- established in East Francia -- { aside:   'Herzegovina' -- likely derivative of German for 'Duchy' - ducal lands } -- Duchy of Franconia (within East Francia) -- was comprised of (present-day):     -- Hesse     -- Palatinate     -- Baden-Wurttemberg (parts)     -- Franconia (most) -- these areas belonged to the Burgundians & Alemanni who had settled & dominated region -- Burgundians & Alemanni deported & resettled south:  around Switzerland -- area then resettled by Frankish nobles & their imported retainers (from their original base) -- Stem duchy of Franconia dissolved -- 1500 AD - Holy Roman Emperors created Franconian Circle -- German:  Frankischer Reichskreis -- 'Kreis' = circle   /  'Reich' = 'rich' or 'kingdom' or 'realm' or 'empire' -- incorporating principalities out of eastern half of former duchy (Stem Duchy ?) -- until 1803, title:  Duke of Franconia attached to:   Würzburg bishops  -- Würzburg bishops 783 AD - 1808 AD -- Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg was ecclesiastical principality of Holy Roman Empire Ebrach Abbey -- starting 1200s AD -- Bishops of Würzburg upon death:     -- monastery in Ebrach - received hearts     -- chapel of Marienburg - received entrails     -- St Kilian cathedral - received bodies         -- German Peasants' War - 1524 to 1525 AD     -- desecration of 30 hearts     German Peasants' War - 1524 to 1525 AD -- peasant revolt in German speaking Central Europe -- failed due to intense opposition of ARISTOCRACY     -- aristocracy slaughtered to 100,000 of 300,000 poorly armed peasants & farmers     -- survivors fined & achieved nothing Examples of prior rebellions:     -- Bundschuh movement     -- Hussite Wars -- all:  series of economic & religious revolts by peasants & farmers -- supported by Protestant clergy, taking the lead -- largest & most widespread popular uprising prior French Rev. 1789 -- hight of conflict:  spring & summer of 1525 -- commenced with insurrections in (now) Germany & Alsace, spreading over eastern present Germany & Austria -- following suppression in Germany, broke out in several Swiss Cantons -- cantons = member states of confederation -- peasants revolt - military disadvantage -- peasants lacked:     1.  command structure     2.  artillery     3.  cavalry     4.  military experience -- in combat, would turn & flee ... to be massacred by aristocrats' forces -- aristocratic class had advantage of:     1.  experienced military leaders     2.  well-equipped     3.  disciplined / structured armies     4.  ample funding -- peasants sought freedom & influence - rhetoric of Protestant Reformation -- historians & cultural historians have different takes on causes & nature of Peasants' War Background Peasants' revolt: -- Charles V, King of Spain = Emperor of Holy Roman Empire -- 1500s AD Europe had many political links within Holy Roman Empire -- HRE = decentralised entity / Emperor little authority outside of own dynastic lands -- such dynastic lands of Emperor only small fraction of whole -- aristocratic dynasties ruled 100s of mainly independent territories -- such territories both secular and ecclesiastical -- rule was within famework of Holy Roman Empire -- some operated as semi-independent city-sates -- Roman church was tax authority -- German church (under control of the princes) could not tax (the semi independent city-states ?) -- ECONOMIC GAIN FOR the PRINCES only by BREAKING AWAY -- German princes broke away with Rome using nationalistic slogan: "German money for a German church" -- princes sought to force freer peasants into serfdom by:     -- increasing taxes     -- introducing ROMAN CIVIL LAW     -- Roman Civil Law advantage to princes - personal power     -- enabled consolidation of power / all land PERSONAL OWNERSHIP     -- eliminating feudal concept of LAND AS A TRUST BETWEEN LORD & PEASANT     -- that had conferred rights as well as obligations on the peasant     -- Roman Civil Law         -- legitimised RULE OF PRINCES         -- elevated wealth of princes         -- elevated position of princes         -- increased princes' power over peasant subjects     -- by way of:         -- confiscation of all property         -- confiscation of all revenues KNIGHTS' REVOLT 1522 - 1523 -- knights:  the lesser landholders of Rhineland in Western Germany -- rose up in rebellion -- rhetoric:  religious -- split with Rome & new German church (Luther ideas) -- but the revolt *not* fundamentally religious -- Knights' Revolt sought to maintain feudal order (thus, conservative) -- Knights' Revolt was revolt against NEW MONEY ORDER squeezing them out of existence MARTIN LUTHER -- dominant leader Reformation (Germany) -- took middle course in Peasants' War -- criticised injustices imposed on peasants -- criticised peasants for fighting back -- was a supporter of CENTRALISATION & URBANISATION of economy -- alienated lesser nobles -- but his position was secured with the burghers burghers = split since 1400s into x3 legally co-equal group 1.  hereditary grand-burgers (ruling upper social class) 2.  ordinary burghers (Kleinburger) - petty-burghers, artisans, trades, merchants etc 3.  non-burghers:  inhabitants or resident aliens w/out specific legal rights     -- largely working class, foreign workers & other civil employees     -- not able or eligible to acquire ordinary petty-burghership hereditary grand-burgers (independent of territorial nobility) urbanised citizen of highest rank in social order:  upper social class / wealthy business or mercantile background & estate / hereditary title / constitutional privileges & legal rights -- the ruling class https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Burgher LUTHER argued:  work was the chief duty on earth [exploitative creep] a.  'duty' of peasants to farm & labour b.  'duty' of ruling class to uphold peace Luther not supporter of German Peasants' War -- because it broke the peace / ie status quo -- [in Luther's twisted mind:  breaking peace is greater evil than of exploiters & abuse of peasants] -- even so, he paid lip service to criticising ruling classes for MERCILESS SUPPRESSION of insurrection Luther article:  Against the Murderous, Thieving Hordes of Peasants (1525) NOTE:  original title:  "Against the Rioting Peasants' but propagandist printers amped up propaganda against peasants Demented Luther argues the peasants have committed crime against: -- loyalty oath -- faith -- blasphemy against Christ COMMENT:  Reading this is anger provoking: -- those that dispossessed peasants to enrich themselves broke their social contract with their tribe of people -- the 'faith' is a foreign, forced & a lie -- there is no such thing as 'blasphemy' / notion is tool of political repression & oppression LOL ... FREE THE EUROPEAN PEASANTS NOW!!!! Luther: 1.  justified VIOLENCE AGAINST PEASANTS by robber prince overlords 2.  venerates killers of peasants as:  TRUE MARTYRS IN EYES OF GOD (sounds like Islam) 3.  preaching destruction 'of the world' in the face of such rebellion 4.  relies on St Paul's teaching of the DOCTRINE OF RIGHT OF KINGS in epistle to the ROMANS 13:1-7     contending that all authorities are appointed by god & should therefore not be resisted     FALSE DOCTRINE - CHRISTIANITY FREE THE EUROPEAN PEASANTS NOW!! Muntzer forces defeated 15 May 1525 at Frankenhausen -- lack of leadership with political & military strength = war over -- felt betrayed by Luther -- Luther refused to retract writings -- instead, later wrote formal explanation:     -- An Open Letter on the Harsh Book Against the Peasants     -- states duty of the Christian to:             "suffer injustice, not to seize the sword & take to violence"             -- Luther contends:  "rebel is not worth rational arguments, for he does not accept them"     -- Martin Luther the bitch of 'secular authority'     -- Martin Luther shill of Princes, instilled increased power in princes     -- Luther sold Reformation intro by princes as 'godly duty'     CONCLUSION: " ... social order of the day would not tolerate a peasant-engineered realignment of society, economics, religion and politics; and the full weight of Church and secular authority would inevitably be used to crush this movement." [Wikipedia] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Against_the_Murderous,_Thieving_Hordes_of_Peasants THOMAS MUNTZER -- most prominent Protestant minister in support of demands of peasantry -- which included political & legal rights -- politically, Muntzer was more interested in social positions than in religious questions -- mystical and apocalyptic elements of theology, forming basis of support for peasants -- main leader of peasantry in Saxony -- described by Diarmaid MacCulloch as impractical dreamer, rather than an earlier incarnation of Lenin     MacCulloch contends that:         -- contribution to 1525 was marginal         -- that Muntzer had no interest in material betterment of peasants         -- that  communist authorities of East Germany unduly elevated Muntzer     Diarmaid MacCulloch     British historian & academic     specialising in church history     Church of England (Anglican) deacon     homosexual     Gay Christian Movement in 1976     Knighted in the 2012 New Year Honours (services to scholarship)    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diarmaid_MacCulloch -- Luther called for 'peaceful' protest [COMMENT:   What a w*nker Martin Luther was; like the greedy elites he was representing were going to give the peasants any power -- they slaughtered them like dogs. ] -- Muntzer preached:  RISE UP & BEAR ARMS     Does not Christ say:  I came not to sent peace, but a sword? -- Muntzer argued that bible not infallible & definitive -- Muntzer argued that holy spirit has ways of communicating directly through gift of reason Twelve Articles of the Black Forest aka The Twelve Articles of the Christian Union of Upper Swabia -- called for an end to feudalism & strengthening of the commons -- ie  resources are held in common, not owned privately -- communal strengthening would have stood in way of nascent CAPITALISM     USUFRUCT     in Roman-based legal systems     the temporary right to the use of property of another     without changing the character of the property     Usufruct - limited real right (ie in rem right) in civil law     -- unites TWO property interests of USUS & FRUCTUS     USUS - user     -- right ot use thing possessed without altering it     FRUCTUS - fruit     -- right to derive profit re ppty (eg sale crops, leasing immovables, taxing entry)     USUFRUCT granted in severalty or held in common ownership     as long as property is not damaged or destroyed     ABUSUS (lit. 'abuse') -- right to alienate, consuming or destroying     (eg for profit) or to transfer (sale, exchange, gift) to another.     Entity that has ALL THREE RIGHTS:   Usus +  Fructus  +  Abusus  =  FULL OWNERSHIP  Twelve Articles of the Black Forest -- manifesto for Peasants' Rebellion (but not the one behind rebellion) -- summary composed by:  Sebastian Lotzer -- 100s of articles & grievances with biblical refs. support (expanded)   Demand list of rights denied peasantry, plus burdens:     -- to elect own pastors     -- to collect tithes for use ONLY within own community     -- to end serfdom (on basis of obedience to elected & appointed rulers)     -- right to fish & hunt without limits     -- right to take wood as necessary     -- limits on labour due to lords     -- imposition of peasant 'services'     -- unregulated rents to lords     -- unfair judgments in legal cases     -- appropriated common lands from peasants (seek return for common use)     -- heriot / seizure by lord of peasant best chattel on death of peasant  (death tax)         enemies of gospel were deemed enemies of peasants     scripture deemed to uphold these demands MARTIN LUTHER: to the nobility: " ...  as temporal rulers you do nothing but cheat and rob the people so that you may lead a life of luxury and extravagance. The poor common people cannot bear it any longer” urging German nobility to reassess their position of privilege relative to peasants     / in hope of averting armed combat / bloodshed while Luther recognised demands as reasonable, considered the demand by force 'wrong' Luther takes issue with use of gospel as justification for armed demand for freedom from exploitation. Kempten Insurrection 1525 -- Kempten im Allgäu in what became Bavaria -- important city -- early 700s Celtic monks established Kempten Abbey monastery there -- 1213 Holy Roman Empire (Frederick II) declares abbots members of Reichstand (imperial estate) -- abbot granted title of Duke -- 1289 King Rudolf of Habsburg - free imperial city special privileges to urban settlement -- 1525 last property rights of abbots sold in 'Great Purchase' -- two independent cities begin co-existence next to each other -- during German Peasants' War, abbey-peasants revolted / plundered abbey & moved on town Battle of Leipheim 1525 -- 5,000 peasants rise against city of Ulm -- NOTE:  peasants well-armed / canons w. powder & shot -- armed with Arquebus (musket successor firearms) & light artillery Georg, Truchsess von Waldburg / hereditary title 'Truschsess (Seneschal or Steward)      -- in service of Swabian League / prior to that Duke Wurttemberg      -- no loyalty to Wurttemberg in end,       --  & merciless in crushed peasant revolt      -- defeated peasants pursued into villages to be tortured & executed      -- Georg, Truchsess von Waldburg ruled large areas he conquered      -- & he collected ransoms from the remaining population      -- TACTIC:  positioning troops to advantage while 'negotiating' -- fortified peasants managed a retreat:  only 2,000 of 4,000 -- of those retreating peasants:  400 drowned in Danube & horse units cut down another 500 Weinsberg Massacre -- peasant leader of large band peasants from Neckar valley:  Jack Rohrbach -- peasants march on town of Weinsberg / victory to peasants who take castle -- most of the soldiers were in Italy & Count of Helfenstein had little protection -- forced Count plus 70 nobles taking refuge with him to RUN THE GAUNTLET of PIKES -- band's piper ordered to play during gauntlets -- popular execution among Landsknechte (German mercenary pikeman)     -- pikemen weapons bearers  / pike is a long spear used by infantry     -- musket superseded the pike weapon     -- effective for open warfare (exceptions) - in use other eras etc     -- Landsnecht armies were Swish mercenaries     -- German Landsknechte, imitated Swiss warfare methods, also used the pike, supplemented by the halberd     -- halberd was like a pike, with an axe on the end     -- German Landsknechte also had short sword sidearm:  katzblager     -- katzblager:  last resort, close combat weapon  (very nice looking) - weighed to 1.5kg  (ouch)     -- in 1400s Swiss valued as mercenary soldiers / had successfully defended liberty against Habsburgs     -- Machiavelli discusses system of combat at length in The Prince     -- Swiss:  love of combat per se forged by two centuries of conflict  --  peasants didn't have stomach for pike gauntlet execution of nobles -- deposed Jack Rohrbach & replaced him -  knight:  Gotz von Berlichingen -- but some sector of peasants wanted revenge on the new commander -- peasants burnt down Widenburg castle in contravention to Article of War on which they agreed Massacre at Frankenhausen -- open peasant revolt -- large part of citizenry joined in -- occupied town hall & stormed castle -- insurgents gathered in fields of town -- peasant force final strength to 10,000 -- Philip of Hesse & Duke George of Saxony direct German mercenaries to Frankenhausesn -- princes' troops (incl. 6,000 mercenaries) defeat peasants under Mutzer -- advantage:  experienced, well-equipped, good morale -- peasants:  only 300 armed fighters without experience or training -- insurgents arranged ceasefire -- princes' troops broke truce -- heavy combined infantry, cavalry & artillery attack -- peasants flee in panic, but attack continues -- massacre of 3,000 to 10,000 estimated -- mercenary Landsknecht casualties:  only 4 + two wounded -- Müntzer tortured & executed at Mühlhausen Other battles also detailed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Peasants%27_War ---------------------- ---------------------- COMMENT Really enjoyed checking this out. Stumbled on this because I wanted to know where the word 'Frankenstein' might have come from. What's happening today with the secret free trade agreements, with the sovereignty of nations being usurped by supranational authorities, serving corporate and elite interests, such as European Union and NATO, as well as the move to mega capitalism, is like the drive to consolidation of power of the princes around the time of the German Peasants' Revolt ... only this time around, it is the consolidation of the power of a capitalist monster:  a Frankenstein that's taking over the world.  LOL Once again, the peasants are empty handed, they have no effective leaders, no military experience, no military discipline, no capital, no arms and no military equipment, and they have no hope against the might of the oppressive state machinery ... even as Europe is being invaded and the birthright of Europeans is usurped from right under them (sort of like the nobles' land grab that left the peasants slaves to masters of PRIVATE PROPERTY). Intensely disliked Martin Luther while reading this.  More into Muntzer, even though I'm not into either of their religions and would have given both Rome and the aristocracy the heave-ho, to go back to pagan ways and pagan warfare, along with brutal pillage of nearby city-states.  LOL The number of peasants that were killed is obscene, compared to the casualties on the mercenary side.  In one of the battles above, only 2,000 of 4,000 got out of the fortification (I believe); and  four hundred drowned in Danube alone, 500 were deliberately slaughtered.  That's just one battle. The aristocrats' mercenaries didn't hold back on the murder, torture and executions. So ... this is what happens when the plebs take on the state. In a way, today's European Union is something like the Holy Roman Empire, only shabbier and sh*ttier because it's not even European anymore -- it's a vassal of USA or USA's elites, and Europe is now being flooded with human weapons of war deployed against Europeans -- weapons of divestment of  the helpless indigenous European peasantry. [no time to check for typos ... sleepy  ;)]  Yuuuuuummmmmmmmmm Culinary Specialties of Franconia (Franken) http://www.germanfoodguide.com/frankencooking.cfm