The immediate cause that started the reformation was Martin Luther's act of posting the Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral in the Holy Roman Empire. Luther was a priest in the Catholic faith in 1517 when he posted the Theses. Luther posted the Theses in response to the sale of indulgences in nearby towns. The Church sold these indulgences as a way to raise money for people who wished their loved ones' souls to go from purgatory to heaven. However, Luther found fault with this practice because he believed that an indulgence was to be given for penance for wrongdoing. By selling indulgences, the Church was giving people who were not sorry for their sins forgiveness. He felt that these people had not lived the lives of saints. The Treasury of Merit said that the indulgences came from the extra goodness of the saints. The people of the surrounding area were buying these indulgences from the salesman Tetzel in order to raise money for Pope Leo X for the renovation of St. Peter's cathedral. Luther worried for these people's souls, so he posted the Ninety-five Theses in order to debate the sale of indulgences. He wrote th

Another factor that caused the Reformation to succeed was the economic situation of the time. Many peasants were in dire need of the money they paid to the Church in the tithe every year. This was because labor was expensive after the plague and there was inflation. Some peasants stopped wanting to pay the tithe because the money went to Rome and they never saw it. This influenced the decisions of many princes to change to Lutheranism because they too did not wish to pay the tithe.

One of the first of these was the Albigensian heresy in the mid 11th century. It gained a large following, but was rejected by the Church because of some of its teachings. The Albigensians taught the difference between good and evil, but did not believe in the sacraments. The Catholic Church viewed the sacraments as necessary for salvation. Wars were fought between the Albigensians and the Church, eventually resulting in the extermination of the Albigensians.

Several people during Luther's time contributed to his success at forming a new religion. One of these was Luther himself, a well-educated monk. He was stubborn and passionate, two traits which certainly led him to success. He refused to recant his beliefs in the face of death or excommunication, and this lead him to show people his strong belief in his religion. A second important person was Leo X; pope at the time Luther posted the Ninety-five Theses. He sent for Luther when he discovered Luther's ideas, but Luther refused to go to Rome, after what happened to so many like Hus who came before him. Leo sent an envoy to Luther instead, and this showed that the Church felt threatened by Luther. Therefore, pope Leo X, by agreeing to Luther's, requests gave the requests validity.

Another historical figure who challenged the Church was Savonarola, a Florentine monk. He was a monk who wished to get rid of the "vanities" in the Church, such as stained glass, nude pictures and lavishness. He held book burnings and was executed for his actions. He was executed by the Church in Florence.

John Hus, a Bohemian, attacked the practices of the Church as well. He was against the wealth and worldliness of the Catholic clergy. He too was called to Rome where he was executed on charges of heresy. His ideas provided yet another argument against the Church which would aid Luther later on.

The physical environment of Europe at the time allowed Luther to be successful. The distance between Rome and other parts of Europe was far, and therefore it became hard to control the beliefs of those out

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