I. Situation of the Imperial knights in the early 16th century:

· Imperial knights receive status and authority directly from the emperor

· Loss of political and military importance during the 15th century

· Rulers rely on professional lawyers as advisors

· Standing armies and mercenaries replace knightly service

· Knights cultivate chivalric code and ideals

· Discrepancy between these ideals and reality: many knights impoverished,

· Make a living as mercenaries, robbers, “professional jousters”

II. Imperial knights call for reform

· Excluded from the imperial diet, knights organize their own assemblies and societies (since 1490)

· Articulate grievances: want more land, hostility towards territorial rulers

· Protest 1495 Ban on noble feud (constitutes a way of living, Goetz von Berlichingen engages in feuds as a “profession”)

III. Imperial knights and Luther

· Knights attracted to Luther’s attack on the wealth of the Church

· Many territorial rulers are bishops

· The knight Ulrich of Hutten champions Luther’s cause

· Franz of Sickingen (war entrepreneur, rich leader of mercenary armies) offers shelter to Luther’s sympathizers, celebrates first protestant services in his castle

· In 1522, Luther publishes a pamphlet directed against the “so-called estate of the pope and bishops,” its aggressive tone seems to support the grievances of the knights

IV. Sickingen’s revolt

· Sickingen begins a Pfaffenkrieg (war against the clergy) against the archbishop of Trier

· Feud is supported by the archbishop of Mainz

· Sickingen legitimates his attack with the Reformation message: Goal is to restore Christian liberty to the oppressed inhabitants of Trier and to open the city gates to the message of the gospel

· Calls for knights to follow him, hope for confiscation and distribution of the ecclesiastical territories and their own elevation to princely rank

· Attack on Trier fails, German princes raze castles of imperial knights

· Imperial knights lose political influence for good

· Despite his protests, Luther is blamed for rebellion by his enemies

· 1523: Luther writes tract on What Constitutes Secular Authority And To What Extent It Must Be Obeyed