History Extra podcast The German Peasants' War: a summer of fire and blood
17 snips
Sep 28, 2025 
Lyndal Roper, Regius Professor of History at Oxford and author of Summer of Fire and Blood, dives into the gripping tale of the 1524-25 German Peasants' War, the largest uprising in Western Europe before the French Revolution. She discusses the explosive causes behind the revolt, from local grievances to Reformation ideas that sparked demands for justice. Roper also unveils the peasants' nuanced relationship with authority, their communal bonds, and the tragic escalation to violence. Her insights shed light on a pivotal moment often overlooked in history.
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Summer Of Fire And Blood
- The Peasants' War was literally a summer of widespread arson against monasteries and castles followed by mass slaughter.
- Lyndal Roper estimates 70,000–100,000 deaths and describes streets and vineyards soaked with bodies.
Peasants' War At The Heart Of Reformation
- The Peasants' War sits at the core of the Reformation and reshaped its course, not merely a side episode.
- Roper argues you cannot understand the Reformation's shape without accounting for this traumatic rupture.
Everyday Life Under Personal Serfdom
- Most people in these regions were peasants under personal serfdom, where Lords exercised deep control over marriages and reproduction.
- Roper highlights how church-run landlords exposed a moral hypocrisy that fuelled resentment.
