Explroing the Social Groups to Which Reformation Appealed...

Explroing the Social Groups to Which Reformation Appealed in Sixteenth-Century Germany During the early Sixteenth Century the church was the most powerful constitution in the world. So, how was its power reduced so dramatically in the space of one century and where did support for the reformation lie? The question of which social groups the reformation appealed to can be answered by addressing which sectors of society supported Martin Luther, â€Å"The Father of Protestantism.† The aspects which need to be considered are how Catholicism influenced the daily lives of towns and cities and what difference the introduction of a new religion produced, how Martin Luther managed to openly speak out†¦show more content†¦So, Luther penned â€Å"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 â€Å"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