Dissecting the DBQ
German Peasants’ Revolt
The Question:
Identifying the task
Analyze the causes of and the responses to
the peasants’ revolts in the German
states, 1524-1526.
 You should underline required tasks.
 Your thesis AND body paragraphs should
address ALL PARTS of this question.
A Sample Thesis
“Both religious and economic causes were
responsible for the German Peasants’
Revolt. Other German citizens had
positive, and varying degrees of negative
responses to these widespread rebellions.”
 What makes this an effective thesis?
 How can we improve it?
Grouping Documents
(Developing “Themes”)
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Look to the required tasks of the question to help guide
how you form groups.
Your thesis should SET UP your groups. e.g. if we take
the previous thesis, “Both religious and economic causes
were responsible for the German Peasants’ Revolt.
Other German citizens had positive, and varying degrees
of negative responses to these widespread rebellions,”
this group has wisely created 4 groups:
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Religious Causes (docs. 1, 3, 6)
Economic Causes (docs. 2, 8, 5)
Positive Responses (docs. 5, 6, 10)
Negative Responses (docs. 8, 11, 4, 9, 7, 12, AND 10)
POV??
WHY does THIS PERSON have the opinion s/he does?
 WHAT PURPOSE does this document serve?
e.g. “As Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V sought to maintain
his authority over religion and class…”
e.g. “As a protestant preacher and theologian, Muntzer
sought to incite an uprising and religious reform in the
midst of chaos”
e.g. “Because Luther had been protected by the German
princes, he spoke against the peasants who had rebelled
against these princes in order to continue to have the
princes’ protection.”
e.g. The Peasant Parliament of Swabia sought to persuade
their Lords to heed their demands for increased
privileges and freedoms by appealing to the common
Christian faith and beliefs of both peasants and lords
alike. Lords who refused may appear “un-Christian.”
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