Over 2 days in May 1525 some 8000 rebels faced the combined armies of Philip of Hesse, Duke Henry of Brunswick and Duke George of Saxony at the salt town of Frankenhausen in Central Germany. Many of those present amongst the insurgents had been drawn by the teachings of the Protestant cleric Thomas Müntzer who openly challenged the princes to embrace his radical theology. In this richly illustrated book, Doug Miller seeks to piece together the events leading up to the massacre of some 7000 rebels and place it in its wider historical context. Frankenhausen remains something of an enigma and the author makes the case for battlefield archaeology to shed light on some of the unanswered questions concerning what many consider to be the most decisive ‘battle’ of the German Peasants War .
Foreword by Gerry Embleton, the renowned military artist.
The beginning of the 16th century witnessed an explosion of religious and political ideas that had been gathering force during the previous century. The Church of Rome had lost its way, pouring its energies into the pursuit of earthly power and riches. The idea that all men could speak to God without the intervention of a priest stuck at the very root of the churches power. If all men be equal in the eyes of God, why the rich man, why the noble? Those in power brought all their forces together to crush such dangerous ideas.
It was a time of uncertainty, growth and change, a violent time and for some an inspiring and exciting time. Revolution was in the air. In this richly illustrated book Doug Miller has managed to bring to life this critical period in German history. This is the first time to my knowledge that an author has used miniatures alongside contemporary images to capture the atmosphere of the day. His three dimensional illustrations often seem to have stepped straight out of 16th century prints and paintings. I share his love of detail, of how things really looked, of worn leather, crumpled clothes and used and battered equipment. I think his figure work is an inspiration to any model maker.
We first collaborated on his book on the Landsknechts for Osprey publishing back in the 70’s. This title inspired me to undertake my own research on this period and I am delighted that Doug has returned to his old stomping ground to dig even further into this remarkable era. His text is a pleasure to read, clear, informative and accessible, and the re-telling of this decisive battle from the perspective of landscape I think sheds some light on those aspects of the battle which have hitherto remained unclear.