10. The Nobleman Who Sided With Downtrodden Peasants Against His Class
In 1514, Transylvanian nobleman and soldier of fortune Gyorgy Dozsa (1470 – 1514) led an unsuccessful uprising of downtrodden Hungarian peasants against their aristocratic overlords. Known as the Hungarian Dozsa Rebellion, the peasant uprising was put down, and Dozsa with it. He went down in history as both a notorious criminal and a Christian martyr.
After earning a reputation for valor in wars against the Ottomans, Dozsa was appointed by Pope Leo X to lead a Crusade against the Turks. An army of about 40,000 volunteers soon assembled under his banner, comprised in the main of peasants, friars, and parish priests – the lowest rungs of society. The nobility however failed to supply the Crusaders, or to offer military leadership. That was particularly off-putting, since military leadership was the main justification for the aristocracy’s high social status.