German Reformation Germany in the early modern period

the german reformation initiated martin luther leads german peasants war in 1524-1525. luther, along colleague philipp melanchthon, emphasized point in plea reformation @ imperial diet of 1529 amid charges of heresy, edict diet of worms (1521) prohibited innovations. meanwhile, in these efforts retain guise of catholic reformer opposed heretical revolutionary, , appeal german princes religious condemnation of peasant revolts backed doctrine of 2 kingdoms, luther s growing conservatism provoke more radical reformers. @ religious conference zwinglians in 1529, melanchthon joined luther in opposing union zwingli. protestation of lutheran princes @ diet of speyer (1529) , rejection of lutheran augsburg confession @ augsburg (1530), separate lutheran church emerged. in northern europe luther appealed growing national consciousness of german states because denounced pope involvement in politics religion. moreover, backed nobility, justified crush great peasant revolt of 1525 , confiscate church property luther s doctrine of 2 kingdoms. explains attraction of territorial princes lutheranism. however, elector of brandenburg, joachim i, blamed lutheranism revolt , did others. in brandenburg, under successor joachim ii lutheranism established, , old religion not formally extinct in brandenburg until death of last catholic bishop there, georg von blumenthal, bishop of lebus , sovereign prince-bishop of ratzeburg. though charles v fought reformation, no coincidence either reign of nationalistic predecessor maximilian saw beginning of reformation. while centralized states of western europe had reached accords vatican permitting them draw on rich property of church government expenditures, enabling them form state churches autonomous of rome, similar moves on behalf of empire unsuccessful long princes , prince bishops fought reforms drop pretension of secular universal empire.