登陆注册
5210200000026

第26章

According to documents, it had existed since 1503, but since the name Union Shoe became too dangerous after the dispersal of the Untergrombach conspirators, it adopted the name of Poor Konrad.Its seat was the valley of Rems underneath the mountain of Hohenstaufen.Its existence had been no mystery for a long time, at least among the people.The shameless pressure of Duke Ulrich's government, and the series of famine years which so greatly aided the outbreaks of 1513 and 1514, bad increased the number of conspirators.The newly imposed taxes on wine, meat and bread, as well as a capital tax of one penny yearly for every guilder, caused the new outbreak.The city of Schomdorf, where the heads of the complot used to meet in the house of a cutler named Kaspar Pregizer, was to be seized first.In the spring of 1514, the rebellion broke out.Three thousand, and, according to others, five thousand peasants appeared before the city, and were persuaded by the friendly promises of the Duke's officers to move on.Duke Ulrich, having promised the abolition of the new tax, came riding fast with eighty horsemen, to find that everything was quiet in consequence of the promise.He promised to convene a diet where all complaints would be examined.The chiefs of the Organisation, however, knew very well that Ulrich sought only to keep the people quiet until he had recruited and concentrated enough troops to be able to break his word and collect the taxes by force.They issued from Kaspar Pregizer's house, "the office of Poor Konrad," a call to a Union congress, this call having the support of emissaries everywhere.The success of the first uprising in the valley of Rems had everywhere strengthened the movement among the people.The papers and the emissaries found a favourable response, and so the congress held in Untertuerkhein on May 28, was attended by numerous representatives from all parts of Wuerttemberg.It was decided immediately to proceed with the propaganda and to strike a decisive blow in the valley of Rems at the first opportunity in order to spread the uprising from that point in every direction.While Bantelshans of Dettingen, a former soldier, and Singerhans of Wuertingen, a prominent peasant, were bringing the Suabian Alp into the Union, the uprising broke out on every side.Though Singerhans was suddenly attacked and seized, the cities of Backnang, Winnenden, and Markgroenningen fell into the hands of the peasants combined with the plebeians, and the entire territory from Weinsberg to Blaubeuren and from there up to the frontiers of Baden, was in open revolt.Ulrich was compelled to yield.However, while he was calling the Diet for June 25, he sent out a circular letter to the surrounding princes and free cities, asking for aid against the uprising, which, he said, threatened all princes, authorities and nobles in the empire, and which "strangely resembled the Union Shoe."In the meantime, the Diet, representing the cities, and many delegates of the peasants who also demanded seats in the Diet, convened on June 18in Stuttgart.

The prelates were not there as yet.The knights had not been invited.

The opposition of the city of Stuttgart, as well as two threatening hordes of peasants at Leonberg nearby in the valley of Rems, strengthened the demands of the peasants.Their delegates were admitted, and it was decided to depose and punish three of the hated councillors of the Duke -- Lamparter, Thumb and Lorcher, to add to the Duke a council of four knights, four burghers and four peasants, to grant him a civil list, and to confiscate the monasteries and the endowments in favour of the State treasury.

Duke Ulrich met these revolutionary decisions with a coup d'état.

On June 21, he rode with his knights and councillors to Tuebingen, where he was followed by the prelates.He ordered the middle-class to come there as well.This was obeyed, and there he continued the session of the Diet without the peasants.The burghers, confronted with military terrorism, betrayed their allies, the peasants.On July 8, the Tuebingen agreement came into being, which imposed on the country almost a million of the Duke's debt, imposed on the Duke some limitations of power which he never fulfilled, and disposed of the peasants with a few meagre general phrases and a very definite penal law against insurrection.Of course, nothing was mentioned about peasant representation in the Diet.The plain people cried "Treason!"but the Duke, having acquired new credits after his debts were taken over by the estates, soon gathered troops while his neighbours, particularly the Elector Palatine, were sending military aid.Thus, by the end of July, the Tuebingen agreement had been accepted all over the country, and a new oath taken.Only in the valley of Rems did Poor Konrad offer resistance.

The Duke, who rode there in person, was almost killed.A peasant camp was formed on the mountain of Koppel.But the affair dragged on, most of the insurgents running away for lack of food; later the remaining ones also went home after concluding an ambiguous agreement with some representatives of the Diet.Ulrich, whose army had in the meantime been strengthened by voluntarily offered troops of the cities which, having attained their demands, now fanatically turned against the peasants, attacked the valley of Rems contrary to the terms of the agreement, and plundered its cities and villages.

Sixteen hundred peasants were captured, sixteen of them decapitated, and the rest receiving heavy fines in favour of Ulrich's treasury.Many remained in prison for a long time.A number of penal laws were issued against a renewal of the Organisation, against all gatherings of peasants, and the nobility of Suabia formed a special union for the suppression of all attempts at insurrection.Meantime, the chief leaders of Poor Konrad had succeeded in escaping into Switzerland, whence most of them returned home singly, after the lapse of a few years.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 异界超级神医

    异界超级神医

    侍女:少爷,我的手好像扭了,你帮我揉揉。御姐:你快帮我看看出了什么毛病。公主:孙翔,本宫日理万机,胸闷病又犯了。……一朝异界重生,左手造化玄功,右手绝世医术。孙翔表示,压力山大。
  • 什么是自由什么是爱

    什么是自由什么是爱

    人气作家水木丁畅销随笔集《只愿你曾被这世界温柔相待》姊妹篇——从情感、生活、阅读三个角度,讨论在残酷喧嚣的世界,如何追寻到真正的自由与爱。书中收录关于情感、生活与阅读的散文随笔五十余篇。延续《只愿你曾被这世界温柔相待》的风格,作者从现实生活里、从情感经验之中、从阅读思考之间,引发出有关生命、成长和自由的讨论。每一篇都闪耀着智性的光辉,记录了一位理智与感情并存的作者,挥别青春的脆弱与伤感,臻至成熟温暖的过程。而所有这些都指向一个共同问题的答案:在这个残酷喧嚣的世界,如何追寻到真正的自由与爱。
  • 说岳全传

    说岳全传

    《说岳全传》是一部以岳飞抗金故事为题材、带有某种历史演义色彩的英雄传奇小说。书中他们综合了历代说岳题材作品,并在此基础上进行加工改造后出版。《说岳全传》问世之后,其影响之大,使过去同题材的作品都相形见绌,从而成为这类题材的小说中带有总结性和定型化的作品。
  • 似水流年一朝深情

    似水流年一朝深情

    已完结文《遇见你遇见最美的爱情》都说初恋情人是这一生中最难忘怀的人,对于这一点,宋瑛璃深信不疑。想当年她把一个叫做秦唯晟的少年放在了心上,却不想他居然在一天里一朝走天涯与她从此两不相挂,她当时心痛之余就在想,看来这人生的起起伏伏都是在人的意料之外的。然而她更没有想到居然有一天他又回来了,重新出现在了她的面前,这次的出现却是以陆景耀的身份。她茫然、她惊讶、她不知所措,怎么办,她不明白他怎么又突然出现了,面对着他的深情款款,可是……现在她的身边已经有了一个叫做尚霖睿的男人啊……似水流年,一朝深情,默默情语,且看花落谁家……
  • 英雄联盟之都市影流

    英雄联盟之都市影流

    在国外上学的杨澜偶然间得到了瓦罗兰大陆影流之主——劫的神魂系统,从此进入了一个不一样的世界,开始了一段充斥着杀伐与征服的人生。“不要畏惧迷离之道,不要否定我,没有人可以逃离,切断他们最后一口气,悄无声息,大开杀戒。我,是黑暗之刃。”——影流之主劫
  • 家有老爸

    家有老爸

    轻松幽默的笔调下,作者将一个美国上层家庭的父亲形象展现出来。他强势却又不失柔情;他霸道,却又公正;他有些自私,却又可爱;同时读者也能从书中一窥19世纪末美国纽约的全貌。根据该回忆录改编的电影由艾琳·邓恩、威廉·鲍威尔和伊丽莎白·泰勒出演。该电影获得了多项奥斯卡金像奖提名。
  • 蛇宝宝:特工妈咪误惹蛇王

    蛇宝宝:特工妈咪误惹蛇王

    “该死,中招了!”作为专业收集情报的特工,柯以柔在美国纽约执行任务时,竟误饮了不知名的兴奋剂。没办法,只好拖了某特邀嘉宾就地解决,事后,她遁了。只留某人衣衫不整一脸羞愤,绝对不能放过她!不久,柯以柔潜逃过程中发现身体不适,她竟怀了一颗蛋!
  • 刘贵(中篇小说)

    刘贵(中篇小说)

    他吃了一惊。他一下子就发现,乡亲们全来了。大家站在老榆树下,聚在一处,看过去竟黑鸦鸦的一片。他随即便意识到,大家的神情多么严肃,不仅严肃,甚至坚硬。当他的目光碰到他们时,甚至可以感觉到冰冷。他立刻一阵绝望,他知道,乡亲们是不会原谅他了。更不会怜惜他。根本不会!有一忽儿,他倒害怕起来,害怕他们会冲上来,把他撕碎,撕成条,撕成块。他们当然没有,他们一动不动,他们只是冷冷地看着他……
  • 嫡女求生指南

    嫡女求生指南

    凤宁兮穿越啦!西北候家的女儿,爹娘尚在,祖母疼爱,关键:她嫡出!不是庶女逆袭,没有生母早逝,低调开启嫡女外挂种田模式的凤宁兮表示:她简直苏的一逼!但好日子没过两个月,凤宁兮突然发现:亲爹纨绔,行动洁宝不怀疑,祖母疼爱,拿当她傻瓜对待,亲娘不得宠,商人出身合府鄙视……西北候府三,四百人,全靠亲娘的嫁妆养活!这就算了,好歹面子上还能看,可面对亲娘的情人。凤宁兮几乎崩溃:娘,咱有点技术含量好不好?找情人你找个太监是什么意思啊!宠妾宠的灭妻灭女的亲爹,愤而和离改嫁太监的亲娘,凤宁兮表示:这日子还能不能过?不能过就都别过了,亲爹,你敢灭女!我就——我就随娘改嫁!
  • 慕秦娇

    慕秦娇

    秦九死于十六岁那年,正是她韶华正好的时候。世人皆传她醉酒后贼心不死,追着乔家那俊俏的小郎君欲行不轨之事,却不想失足掉入运河,这才溺水身亡的,可秦九知道不是。因为她那晚根本就没有喝醉,是有人害了她。