A Mighty Fortress of God. The Siege of Munster 1534-1535. A Review

I have to admit that the subject of this latest book by Doug Miller is something I had never even heard of, as my focus has previously been on the wars in Italy taking place at the same time. I was looking forward to learning some new stuff, and was not to be disappointed.

A Mighty Fortress of God, the Siege of Munster 1534-1535 is one of the latest offerings in Helion’s excellent and growing series ‘from Retinue to Regiment’. 

In brief, in February 1534 Franz von Waldeck, the Catholic Bishop of Münster began a siege that would last for sixteen months. The Anabaptists holding Münster viewed it as the 'New Jerusalem',  and they resolutely resisted the bishop's forces. The Anabaptists fortified the city, and repelled numerous assaults while suffering from starvation, disease, and internal strife. Ultimately the defenders were be betrayed and the city fell.

Doug Miller brings the siege to life through the vivid accounts of contemporary witnesses and detailed historical research. We are taken on a step-by-step journey through the each aspect of the siege: the construction of earthworks, the organisation of defences, the failed attacks of 1534 to the dramatic betrayal that finally led to the collapse of the Anabaptist defence in June 1535, this account covers a key moment in Reformation-era history. The author also explores the motivations, leadership, and ideologies of both the besiegers and the besieged, offering an unparalleled and for me massive insight into the complexities of the Anabaptist movement, which was entirely new to me, and its extinction in Münster.

As ever with Helion books, we are provided with lots of specially-commissioned artwork of clothing and flags together with contemporary black and white images and photographs of surviving buildings and equipment. The numerous colour plates of troops and coats of arms are simply beautiful and are inspiring. I have to say the image of the Landsknecht longbow man came as a surprise, but the weapon’s continued use is perfectly plausible. There are some particularly useful colour maps of the area and the siege itself.

The appendices amongst other things include Bishop's Articles of War, and details of the actual costs of the siege.

This is a superb addition to the series and the author should be commended on the quality of his writing and research. As I said at the start of this review, I knew nothing of this siege but have now learnt a great deal about this fascinating episode set during the Reformation in Germany. I now even know who and what the Anabaptists were and what their beliefs were. Fascinating stuff.

ISBN 978-1-804515-55-6  141 pages soft