The German Peasants’ War of 1524-1525 was the largest popular uprising in Western Europe before the French Revolution. Somewhere between seventy and a hundred thousand peasants—roughly 2% of the male population—were slain in a mere two months. While the peasant forces would ultimately prove no match for the lords, for a period of several months they managed to take control of vast areas of southern and middle Germany in pursuit of a more egalitarian order. The rebels pushed against the structures of lordship and embraced the radical and ecological potential of the Reformation in which Earth’s natural resources were gifts from God to all of humanity.

Today’s guest is Lyndal Roper, author of “Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants’ War.”  We see that neither the Reformation nor the Peasants’ War can be fully understood in isolation from one another, and that the rebels’ fight for freedom was a direct response to the period of reform.

The German Peasants&rsquo; War of 1524-1525 was the largest popular uprising in Western Europe before the French Revolution. Somewhere between seventy&nbsp;and&nbsp;a hundred thousand peasants&mdash;roughly 2% of the male population&mdash;were slain in a mere two months. While the peasant forces would ultimately prove no match for the lords, for a period of several months they managed to take control of vast areas of southern&nbsp;and&nbsp;middle Germany in pursuit of a more egalitarian order. The rebels pushed against the structures of lordship&nbsp;and&nbsp;embraced the radical&nbsp;and&nbsp;ecological potential of the Reformation in which&nbsp;Earth&rsquo;s natural resources were gifts from God to&nbsp;all&nbsp;of humanity.
Today&rsquo;s guest is Lyndal Roper, author of &ldquo;Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants&rsquo; War.&rdquo; &nbsp;We see that neither the Reformation nor the Peasants&rsquo; War can be fully understood in isolation from one another, and that the rebels&rsquo; fight for freedom was a direct response to the period of reform.

For history lovers who listen to podcasts, History Unplugged is the most comprehensive show of its kind. It's the only show that dedicates episodes to both interviewing experts and answering questions from its audience. First, it features a call-in show where you can ask our resident historian (Scott Rank, PhD) absolutely anything (What was it like to be a Turkish sultan with four wives and twelve concubines? If you were sent back in time, how would you kill Hitler?). Second, it features long-form interviews with best-selling authors who have written about everything. Topics include gruff World War II generals who flew with airmen on bombing raids, a war horse who gained the rank of sergeant, and presidents who gave their best speeches while drunk.

A show about American history, world history, World Wars 1 & 2, the Civil War, and much more.

History Unplugged Podcast

For history lovers who listen to podcasts, History Unplugged is the most comprehensive show of its kind. It's the only show that dedicates episodes to both interviewing experts and answering questions from its audience. First, it features a call-in show where you can ask our resident historian (Scott Rank, PhD) absolutely anything (What was it like to be a Turkish sultan with four wives and twelve concubines? If you were sent back in time, how would you kill Hitler?). Second, it features long-form interviews with best-selling authors who have written about everything. Topics include gruff World War II generals who flew with airmen on bombing raids, a war horse who gained the rank of sergeant, and presidents who gave their best speeches while drunk.

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