Martin Luther Revolutionary

Statue of Martin Luther in Dresden, Germany

            Martin Luther undoubtedly changed German history. His words and beliefs started a chain reaction and showed individuals that they could actually stand up to the authorities and win. His revolution began with his writings of the 95 theses. He gained support from political leaders like Fredrick the Wise, which ultimately saved him his life. He encouraged his political authorities of Rome’s financial draining on all of the individuals and how this needed to be changed. I feel as though he opened the eyes of some of the political leaders and they knew they had to do something to make a change. Not only was Luther a political revolutionary, but also religious. Not only did he lead his followers with his 95 theses, but he also translated the bible into the German language. This was a huge step in changing religion in German- speaking lands. It made the book more accessible to a wider array of people and changed the church forever. His words made priests and nuns leave the church and get married and they began living the life of the congregation. He informed these individuals that there were simply two sacraments opposed to the seven that Rome was trying to convince the citizens. These findings only opened doors for others to find other flaws with the church system that was being forced upon them. Luther wanted more religious freedom within the church and soon others were realizing the same. The translation of the bible also set to stone the standard German language. With these small key ingredients such as having a standard set language and more religious freedom was just the beginning to a blossoming Germany. Luther spoke what he believed knowing the dangerous consequences he would encounter and I believe this is where he gained a lot of respect. If you are going to start a revolution you need to stay true to your word and fight for what you believe no matter what the outcome may be, and that is exactly what he did until the day he died. I feel as if the citizens of the Roman Empire were unhappy with the situation they were in but didn’t know what to do about it until Luther stepped forward with his ideals and paved the path to an improved political and religious system.

Picture of Martin Luther

Martin Luther appearing before the Diet of Worms