Before the French Revolution, there was the Peasants’ War. In 1525, more than 100,000 peasants across German-speaking Europe rose up against lords and church authorities. It was a brief but explosive uprising that reshaped politics, religion, and class conflict in the early modern world. Until the French Revolution there was no popular uprising that could match its size or its intensity.
In this episode of Historically Thinking, Oxford historian Lyndal Roper joins us to discuss her latest book, Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants’ War. We explore the causes, horrors, and consequences of a revolt that left 1% of the population dead in just two months. If you care about rebellion, religion, or the roots of modern Europe, this is essential listening.
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