The War of the Poor

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Europe is ablaze with protests as the poor demand immediate equality. The history of inequality is long and harrowing, and it continues. This narrative recounts a lesser-known yet brutal episode from sixteenth-century Europe, during the Protestant Reformation, when the powerful faced challenges from the disenfranchised. Initially, the Reformation seemed to stabilize, aligning more with the bourgeoisie, while peasants and the urban poor, promised equality in the afterlife, began to question why they couldn't have it on earth. This led to a fierce struggle between the Protestant elite and the impoverished masses. Amidst this turmoil emerges Thomas Muntzer, a theologian who championed the underprivileged. A complex figure, Muntzer did not align with Martin Luther or the Catholic Church; instead, he directly addressed the poor, provoking them to question why a supposedly benevolent God favored the wealthy. Eric Vuillard meticulously explores this transformative period in Western Europe, illuminating Muntzer's extraordinary life and its significance. With his signature wry and ironic tone, Vuillard invites readers to delve into a pivotal moment when history was being shaped.