Peasant Unrest in Europe in the 1470s

Timeline

1. 1471–1475Swiss Confederacy · Swiss ConfederacyIn the early 1470s, peasants in the Swiss cantons and neighboring German territories resisted newly imposed poll taxes, labor services, and church burdens. Some communities armed themselves to besiege local lords' castles, demanding the restoration of customary rights. Although the full-scale Swiss Peasant War erupted in the 16th century, scattered uprisings and the expansion of communal self-governance had already appeared in the 1470s, showing that rural resistance to feudal exploitation was steadily accumulating.
2. 1474–1478Lorraine · LorraineDuring the Burgundian Wars, peasants in Lorraine, Alsace, and elsewhere bore the burden of military requisitions and soaring prices, repeatedly attacking granaries and tax stations. Refusals of labor service also occurred around free imperial cities in southern Germany. Lords and municipal authorities mainly suppressed these incidents by force, occasionally easing tensions by reducing some rents. The end of the war did not eliminate rural grievances; instead, currency debasement and the shifting of taxes spread the conflicts into the 1480s.
3. 1477–1480Ghent · FlandersAfter the death of Charles the Bold, Maximilian attempted to tighten tax control over Flemish cities and countryside, provoking joint resistance by townsfolk and peasants. In 1479–1480, the 'Hook and Cod' (Hatfeather) uprisings broke out in Ghent and elsewhere, demanding the restoration of local privileges and limits on foreign rule. Peasants took part in sieges and guerrilla actions, showing dissatisfaction with Habsburg centralization across all social strata of the Low Countries. The peasant unrest of the 1470s reached its climax here and led directly into the great Flemish uprising of 1480.