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or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts at into History.com. It's April 5th, 1534, outside Munster, a German city in the Holy Roman Empire.

43-year-old Bishop Franz von Waldeck

emerges from a tent into glorious sunshine.

It's Easter Sunday, and normally Bishop Waldeck

would be preparing for religious services

that marked the most important festival in the Christian calendar.

But this year Bishop Waldeck isn't at church, he's leading an army.

Two months ago a religious uprising occurred in the city of Munster.

A radical sect known as Anabaptists took over the town and expelled anyone who refused

to convert to their version of Christianity.

This was unacceptable to Franz von Walde. He's not

only the local Catholic Bishop, he's also the region's ruler. So now he's come to Munster

to return the city to what he views as the one true Christian

faith and he's prepared to use force to do it.

He set up camp outside Munster and deployed his army to beseage the city.

Now as he watches on, the city gates begin to open.

Bishop Valdek praises God that the rebellious subjects of Munster

have chosen this holy day to surrender. But his celebrations are cut short

when he sees a dozen horsemen gallop out of the gates. They have their weapons drawn and

...