1525

1525 was a year in the early modern period characterized by continued warfare, religious reform, and expanding European influence across Europe and the Atlantic world. It occurred amid the Italian Wars and the early stages of the Protestant Reformation, shaping political and religious dynamics for years to come.

In Europe, the year featured a decisive clash in the Italian Wars: the Battle of Pavia on February 24, where Charles V’s imperial forces defeated the French army and captured King Francis I. Francis remained a prisoner in Madrid for over a year, with his captivity influencing negotiations that culminated in the 1526 Treaty of Madrid and shifting power dynamics in western Europe. Another major European conflict concluded in 1525: the German Peasants’ War ended with the Battle of Frankenhausen on May 15, in which the peasant army was defeated and the radical reformer Thomas Müntzer was captured and later executed, marking a turning point in the uprising.

The Swiss Reformation also took a significant step in 1525, as cities such as Zurich moved toward Protestant reforms, contributing to long-standing religious realignments within the Swiss Confederation and neighboring cantons.

Beyond Europe, 1525 saw ongoing expansion and exchange driven by Iberian and other European powers, as contacts between the Old World and the Americas continued to deepen, laying groundwork for the broader Columbian Exchange and colonial enterprises that would intensify in the following decades.

Notable deaths in 1525 include Thomas Müntzer, a radical reformer who perished after the Frankenhausen defeat. Overall, 1525 was a year of turning points in military, religious, and geopolitical developments that influenced the trajectory of early 16th-century history.