Counting Down History’s Most Ridiculous War Triggers – Crazier Than Modern Jokes

The Turnip Tax Revolt

In 1763, a German duchy imposed a tax specifically on turnips — seen as a poor man’s crop. Outraged farmers refused to pay, stormed the tax office, and ignited a two-month rural rebellion. Their rallying cry? “No coin for the root!”

The Turnip Revolt didn’t change tax policy, but it did lead to agricultural reform decades later. Turnips became a political symbol — and a recurring subject in rebellious folk songs. This might be the only time a vegetable sparked an uprising.

Advertisements