Soon after the invention of printing, any booklet that was short unbound or loosely bound were called pamphlets. The word 'Pamphlet' came popular for describing this type of booklet as the polemical and propagandist works on 'topical' subjects were spread in this form.
They were among the first of the printing materials, and were used widely around countries such as England, France and Germany.
The first revolution of 'Pamphleteering' was inspired by the religious controversies of the early 16th century. In France, mane pamphlets were issued In the reformed religion causing edicts prohibiting them were promulgated in 1523, 1553 and 1566. In Germany, the pamphlet was used first by the leaders of the protestant reformation to inflame popular opinion which was against the pope and the roman catholic church.
One of the earliest and most effective pamphleteers was Martin Luther.
The pamphlet was also popular in the Elizabethan age, being used for religious controversy and also by men such as Thomas Dekker for romantic fiction and social and literary criticism.
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