Tactics Of A Revolution: The Protestant Reformation

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able to in the past, and disapproved of the rising taxes being imposed on them by their landlords. The common people were also unhappy with the church, feeling that the clergy were greedy and more interested in acquiring wealth than being the spiritual leaders they were appointed to be. Landlords were forced to sit idly by as the prices of manufactured goods rose rapidly, and blamed merchants and bankers-also affected by a greedy atmosphere. Those who owned small plots of land were in even worse shape and were often forced to sell their land, especially free imperial knights. These knights owed allegiance to the emperor, but often only held less than one square mile of land. The knights were also being forced out of work due to a new reliance on infantry and artillery, rather than cavalry. All these people were becoming increasingly disapproving of the church and were desperate for a new means of worship and religious power in Germany.
The political situation in Germany during ...

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take over the west. After taking Constantinople in 1453, German rulers became very fearful. The combination of social unrest, lack of political power, and the threat of invasion made western Europeans fear that the end of the world was near, leading them to search for one who could solve their problems, or at least give them hope for the future-and along came Martin Luther (Wiesner, p.302).
Despite the fact that eastern Europeans were ready and willing to hear Luther’s message, most would not have been able to if it were not for the widespread use of the printing press. During the time of Hus and Wyclif, only the wealthy were able to obtain books and/or pamphlets-even the poor that were ...

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