The Peasant War in Germany

What it is

Der deutsche Bauernkrieg is a short history by Friedrich Engels, written in London in the summer of 1850 and first published in a review edited by Karl Marx. It examines the German Peasants' War of 1524-1525, drawing heavily on an earlier history by Wilhelm Zimmermann.

Why it matters

Engels wrote it shortly after the defeat of the 1848-49 revolutions, in which he had taken part, and he explicitly compares the two periods. Using historical materialism, he argues the peasant war's causes were economic rather than purely religious or political, and he criticises Martin Luther for turning against the peasants he had once armed with his Bible translation. It shows Engels applying Marx's theory of history to a concrete historical case.

Look closer

• Why might Engels have chosen a 300-year-old war to comment on his own times?
• What does his criticism of Luther reveal about his view of reformers who later side with power?
• How does relying on an earlier historian's research shape what Engels could argue?