After Establishing, the power the church had it is clear that some social groups suffered more than other. The worst to suffer were the peasantry hence they were the initial supporters of Luther. Firstly the reformation appealed to them because they could not afford to keep paying for relics, or to have their child baptise, or to keep working on church land for free but, they obeyed due to fear of the devil and hell preached by the local priests. Secondly, their financial situation was made worse by the growth in peasant population from 53,000,000 (1300) to 73,000,000 (1500.) This had encouraged the nobility to increase land prices and try to reintroduce the feudal system. The peasantry, desperate for liberation, interpreted Luther’s religion as one of social equality. However, Luther only supported the peasant’s revolts and their issued “12 Articles” to a certain extent. He supported their religious demands especially the ones criticising bishops and “mad” priests but did not support the economic and social ones claiming serfdom should be abolished. Once the Black Forest Revolt took place and the peasants turned violent Luther knew he could no longer support them, he could not risk losing support he had gained from Princes, they might see him as a threat to law ‘n’ order. So, Luther penned “against the murderous, pillaging hordes of peasants” and by May 1925 state leaders had raised and army to defeat the rebels.
The peasant revolt played a very important part in the reformation and had massive consequences. Luther, an educated man knew he could not be associated to rebels and would need friends in higher places in order to escape excommunication. By turning his back to the peasants he showed to the princes that Luther could be trusted with regards to issues such as social stability, he showed those in power he was on the “right side.” His condemnation of the peasantry also appealed to the middle class due to his representation of social stability, they too were fearful for their property. Although the enormous peasantry turned away from Lutheranism and instead became part of the Anabaptist Movement, this in turn helped the reformation succeed, as it gave Luther a chance to attract the small majority of nobles and bourgeoisie.
It has now been established that Luther desperately wanted the reformation to appeal to nobility and the majority of nobles did support the reformation however, the only side they were on, was their own.
King Charles definitely remained Catholic and dedicated to the papacy. This is evident throughout the whole of is reign. In 1921 he summons Luther to appear before the Diet of Worms and sides with the pope from the beginning, condemning Luther. Frederick appears as Luther’s saviour fights for Luther’s freedom. The pope and the king are unable to ignore the influential noble, once recommended by the papacy for the position of Holy Roman Emperor. The king however, does not let Frederick influence his opinion and on May 26 the Edict of Worms was signed by Charles condemning the leader of Protestantism.
Frederick the Wise intervention at the Diet of Worms must not be misinterpreted as support for Luther or Protestantism and died a Catholic. Like most of the other nobles which the reformation appealed to, they did not support Luther or his new religion, however did not condemn it and helped Luther out of self interest. Frederick initially offered Luther safety after his ninety five theses because Tetzel, the pardoner who had arrived in Saxony selling indulgences, not because he disapproved of them but because he the pardoner selling them effected his takings, due to people not buying them at his church in Saxony. Franz Von Sickingen offered Luther protection at his estate in Ebernburg and his cousin assisted by producing propaganda pamphlets. But, again this was in their best interests. They did not always grasp the new religions ideology and focussed on issues which would be of their benefit such as, Monasteries should be closed and the land which was extorted from nobles’ ancestry should be reclaimed. The Upper Class also still used to the church to buy them power. But, although the church supplied small privileges, nobility could buy their sons high positions within the church, there were too many negative aspects. The reformation appealed to them because they wanted to abolish the Papacy’s control over large pieces of land and its ability to collect revenue. The German Princes were given the excuse by the reformation to deprive the church of lands, enriching themselves and breaking free from the control of the Holy Roman Emperor. Some also saw the Papacy as Italian outsiders, interfering with German politics and exploiting them for the benefit of Rome.
However, regardless of why the reformation appealed to the nobles, they still played an important role in the reformation. Frederick and other nobility offered Luther safety and saved him from becoming a martyr and other nobles such as Sickingen helped spread information to others by printing Luther’s ideas.
Another social group which the reformation appealed to was the academics. This was due to Luther preaching mainly in the towns and cities where people were better educated. Towns and Cities had a higher literacy rate and had developed a political consciousness to protect them from prying Princes, they were more independent. Luther did have a few members of opposition within the groups such as Johannes Eck, from the University of Ingolstadt who in 1915 challenged Luther to a religious debate but this worked in Luther’s favour, it brought attention to Protestantism and won support. Students regularly showed their support. In 1520 when Luther received the papal bull, students at Erhurt University ripped up a copy of it and in 1522 students destroy the altar at Franciscan Monastery. Another group of intellects the reformation appealed to was the members of the Humanistic Movement. Their aim was to clarify religious matters but not destroy the Catholic Church. Due to the development of scientific technology, they developed an awareness of papacy corruption, a realisation that the priests whilst preaching their laws of god, live in sin themselves. The reformation appealed to them because they agreed with the concept that salvation could only be reached by mans faith and there was no mediators in between. They thought this could be achieved by an individual reading the bible and understanding it themselves, this meant that women (no access to books) and lower illiterate social groups would not achieve salvation. Luther’s refusal to support the Peasant War therefore pleased the Humanists, who were keen not to change the hierarchical social order.
In conclusion the reformation appealed to all social groups for different reasons. The nobles found self interest in the reformation, the academics due to a new scientific thinking and initially the peasants, who were rejected and then felt betrayal. The reformation had the biggest impact on cities. In 1925 Nuremberg banned Catholicism. They legally had a debate where a Catholic delegate versus a Lutheran delegate and the magistrate decided who won. Wittenberg and Ebernburg followed shortly after. This was because cities were more independent and less conservative. They began opening libraries, allowing Luther’s ideas to spread amongst the middle and upper class literate males. However, the very fact that the reformation was given the chance to appeal to social groups was an error made by the Pope and King Charles. Luther originally had not wanted to break away from the church; he had hoped to clear up the churches doctrine on indulgences. But the Pope and Charles had concerns elsewhere and did not intervene in the reformation fast enough. It was not until 1923 the first protestant martyr was burned and by the time action was taken against protestants, it was too late, it had already surfaced and appealed to too many social groups. In 1924 when Nuremberg was forced to renew its banishment on Luther, he was already too popular to enforce the law. The Catholic Church had controlled society, but Luther and Protestantism had given people an excuse to break free and without consequence, until it was too late.
