The Revolution of 1525: The German Peasants' War from a New Perspective

by Peter Blickle, Thomas A. Brady Jr. (Translator), H.C. Erik Midelfort (Translator)

"A major book that scholars will want to study closely, both for its provocative treatment of the interaction of economic and social pressures with politics and ideology and for its many revisions of Marxist and non-Marxist interpretations... [Blickle's] book will influence scholarship for some time to come."--Journal of Modern History.

Genres: History, Germany

246 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Peter Blickle teaches modern history at he University of Bern where he specialises in the Reformation and communities in the early modern period.

Reviews

[Martin Empson]

Peter Blickle's book was published after the 450th anniversary of events which saw a "ocean of published work". In many ways Blickle was revisionist, unafraid to take on established ideas and challenge them, whether they were from West or East. He deliberately attempted to emphasise the "interdependence" of social and ideological factors in driving the peasant rebellions, challenging those who saw events as simply being down to the Reformation. For Blickle what was important was the "complexity of rural society and the peasantry" and key for him was the importance of understanding events as a Revolution, even if his concept of this was far from the classical Marxist tradition.

Full review from my blog: http://resolutereader.blogspot.com/20...

[Dylan]

Peasants: "We would like a reduction in the humiliating death tax and to be able to gather wood on the land we tend to."

The Holy Roman Empire: "No." (30,000 Peasants die)

[Alex]

Account of most of the peasant uprisings in 1524-1526. Scant attention paid to revolts outside of Southwest Germany (Muntzer gets very little mention).

[Nathan Smith]

this is a sociological perspective on the peasants war during the Reformation that puts it into a light that contradicts Luther's views of the magistrates being those through whom the reformation should be carried out.

[Warren Bittner]

This book provides surprising insight into into the culture of Germany in 1525, and the origins of German marriage restrictions. I was in the middle of reading it and am upset that I had to return the inter-library loan and wait a month before I can order it again.

[Brett Z. Chancery]

I would rather have a root canal.