The Protestant Reformation began in the early 16th century and was a religious, political, and cultural movement aimed at exposing the corruption of the Catholic Church. It all started in Germany with Martin Luther and his 95 theses. Luther didn't like some of the things the Catholic Church did, like selling indulgences and serving as an intermediary between God and the people. Therefore, Luther published his 95 Theses, which changed the functioning of the Church. Luther never intended or intended for this to become a major religious revolution against the Church, he simply wanted the Church to make the changes. Whatever Luther's intentions, the Protestant Reformation had important short- and long-term causes and consequences for Western civilization. The 95 Theses were ultimately perhaps the main long-term cause of the reform: the Catholic Church had become more recognized, but above all greedy. During the Renaissance, the Church spent so much money on art that it used indulgences to cover all purchases. Clergymen and members of the Church hierarchy began living lavish lives during the Renaissance and became greedy. This then led to Martin Luther's 95 Theses and ultimately the Protestant Reformation. Naturally, when a religion gains worldwide fame, someone eventually finds a loophole in the system, and that is what Luther and his reformers did. The Catholic Church also didn't help their cause by becoming greedy and trying to cover their losses. Another major long-term cause was that of humanists who called for a simpler, less corrupt religion. Ultimately, the emergence of strong national monarchs was a major cause of the Protestant Reformation. Many of these long-term causes of the Protestant Reformation had serious and far-reaching consequences for the West.