Friday, September 7, 2012


After reading the first two chapters of Hagen Schulze’s Germany A New History the persons that intrigued the most were Martin Luther and Frederick the Wise. Luther, who started one of the most controversial reforms, the Protestant Reformation, in history by nailing his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Catholic church. I can connect the Protestant Reformation during the sixteenth century to a time in American history when America declared independence from Great Britain. I came up with this connection by comparing the people who started these reforms. Thomas Jefferson and gang, who convened together to fight against Great Britain are similar to what Martin Luther and Frederick the Wise did to fight for what they thought.
Martin Luther was better known than Frederick the Wise. Little do people know, Frederick the Wise protected Martin Luther in many ways. Because Frederick was a prince, he influenced many nobles to part ways with the Catholic Church and start questioning the antics of the Catholics. Frederick the Wise can be compared to a modern day Vice President of the United States. I find this comparison because Vice Presidents help to influence and persuade citizens to vote for the President and Frederick did the same for Luther and the Protestant Reformation.
On top of the Protestant Reformation, the other very important event that was stated in this book was the Thirty Years War. The Thirty Years was a conglomerate of wars sparked by different religious views. This war can be compared to the war that has been ongoing for decades between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The Israelis and Palestinians have been fighting over land and religion just as the Thirty Years War was fought between the Protestants and Catholics.
In my eyes the Martin Luther, Frederick the Wise, the Protestant Reformation and the Thirty Years were the most important people and events that were mentioned during the first two chapters of this book.
   
                                                                Martin Luther
Frederick the Wise

                                              Martin Luther’s 95 Theses

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