Martin Luther; Reluctant Revolutionary

Although Martin Luther had no intention of creating a revolution, he did; this revolution, not intentionally sought, would change the culture, political ideas, and religious views of generations to come.  These influences he created in his time would last for years and turn Martin Luther into an important figure in German-speaking lands, as well as elsewhere in the world. 

Martin Luther saw the Church and its definition of salvation and was outraged; he criticized the Pope and the Papacy; Luther wanted to know what salvation really meant and set out to figure it out.  He studied the Bible and attacked the very heart of the Papacy: the system of sacraments (it was through this system that a person got to Heaven according to the Church).  The Church believed there were seven sacraments whereas Luther saw only two: The Lords Supper and Baptism.  Luther wrote his ideas in his book and claimed the other five sacraments were created by the Church and needed to be cast aside.  These ideas of Luther’s’ attacked the Church and they set out to first end Luther’s writings and then silence Luther. 

Since Martin Luther’s object was not to create a social, political, and religious revolution with his ideas, it made him that much more successful.  Luther only wanted to purify the Church, not set about the creation of new religions.  In launching the revolution, Luther changed the culture of Europeans that followed the Church as his ideas spread.  They saw the same light that Luther saw and that changed how they viewed religion which changed how the politics were done.  Before the Church had major influences on both politics and culture, but after Luther’s ideas spread, the populations and communities saw how things could be run differently, and set about changing things.  Martin Luther was a great revolutionary in these three aspects, partly because, again, he did not try to be but rather just opened people’s eyes.   It is because of this that he is important to German-speaking lands; he changed how things ran and ‘got the ball rolling’ for countries to step out from being under the Holy Roman Empire. 

A statue of Martin Luther outside in Dresden; one of many memorials to Luther due to his big influence on Germany and German culture.

Martin Luther's response after he was told in Worms he could recant and live freely.  He was told to recant because they wanted everyone to see that he no longer believed in his works and so the public should stop believing in them as well. 

Martin Luther's Bible that was translated while he was in hiding due to his works.

Hagen Schulze's Germany: A New History

Near the end of chapter two, “Transitions,” after Hagen Shulze talks about Luther and the reformation there is a part about the wars that spread after years of peace (peace that was only around due to ruthless leaders waiting around for the right time to strike). The wars that resulted due to ambitious leaders wanting to take control spread way beyond the borders, to all the great nations around as they tried to restore the Catholic unity that used to exists.  Eventually peace was made with the Peace of Westphalia, which had been negotiated at Münster and Osnabrück. 

The peace treaties ended the conflicts and became a European settlement. This was, in effect, a European constitution.  These treaties look like they would be the beginnings of the European Union.  The leaders set out to form a way that each nation could stay true to its roots and remain its own country with its own ideas but also form a way that they could get along and try to avoid conflicts.  Their agreements established the rights of the states and every other state recognized, followed, and respected these rights. 

In their agreements they also dealt with the religion aspects.  It created a weak and fragmented center that was the Hold Roman Empire, partly because the Holy Roman Empire was so weak and tired after the long war it had been fighting.  It was now the soft center of the law that held the empire together.  These agreements show that after years of fighting it is possible to come together to work in unison for the betterment of the states and their people.  The treaties also showed that despite different religious and political beliefs and systems, different states could come together and work well without fighting and being at war for everything they wanted. 

A drawing of the leaders negotiating the Peace of Westphalia. It shows that many leaders with many different ideas can come together to work towards a common goal.

A map of Europe in 1648, with the boundaries of the Holy Roman Empire outlined in blue.