Get lost! In the wintertime there is no harvest to collect. Doh! Who is then able to do other things?
You do know that wintertime was not an end to war season, as it is sometimes portrayed in litterature. That is utter rubbish! Well, maybe soft continental and english could not fight during wintertime but in Scandinavia and in Russia winter war was very fashionable. For example, during the Great Russian war between Sweden-Finland and Russia between 1554-1557 the russian launched a major invasion during the winter in 1555. An army of maybe up to 12000 soldiers crossed the finnish border and took the finnish defenders somewhat by suprise. A small force of regulars, no more than little over 100 men but well stocked with firearms moved into a blocking position to try and delay the russians further advance.
So why fight during the winter? Well, if supplies get harder to come by, mobility increases. Yes, increases. In those days roads were usually crap anyway, so in summer the waterways were the main routes of travel. But during wintertime, lakes, bogs and all other wetland turned from watery to solid. And the snow meant that men using skis, snowshoes, sledges and such could travel much further and faster than in summertime. This enabled long-range strike missions, hitting deep into enemy territory and the wars in Scandinavia during the winters during the medieval period and into the 17th century saw winters were chevausees criss-crossed the borders, trying to strike the enemy economy hard and sometimes to catch the enemy chevausees.
If you are used to winter and prepared, wintertime enables warfare just as much as it might hamper it. One reason for Sweden finally wresting the southern landscapes from Denmark was due to willingness and ability to fight during wintertime and also knowing how to use winter as your ally. Karl X Gustavs crossing of the straits in the midwinter of 1658 moving from Jutland, over Fyn and then onto Zeeland took the danes by total suprise. The ice lay thick and the danish navy could do nothing against the swedish army crossing over from the continent having made peace with Poland and thereby freeing itself to fight Swedens arch enemy.
However, the russian invasion of Finland in 1555 was rather large for the age and season, showing they had bigger plans than a mere Chevausee. There were many months before the seas opened and reinforcement could be sent to Finland from Sweden proper. All that stood in their way was about 100 soldiers, dug in but still a mere hundred against several thousands. The russian general raised a toast in mockery of his foe and launched a hasty attack to sweep aside the resistance with brute force so as not to get bogged down. But then he was struck unexpectedly from a flank. About 500 finnish farmers and peasants had been able to answer the summoning to muster and now they struck the drawn out russian column from the side. They used skis, which most of the russians did not, so they were swifter and more mobile. And they all packed crossbows and bow. By firing accurate volleys from behind cover and then relocate they not only made it hard for the russians to come up with a response, they also made themselves seem a much larger force than they really were.
At the same time, the small force of soldiers opened up with anything they had, pouring hot lead into the front of the russian column.
Believing they were being attacked in the flank by a large finnish force, the russian army panicked and fled. About 600 russians perished from wounds or because they were trampeled in the panicked rout.
On other occasions, farmers formed their own companies and got independent missions, usually patrolling borders, ambushing enemy units and make deep raids into enemy territory.
In both Denmark and Sweden, it was usually very expensive to keep mercenaries on warfoot throughout the winter, and since most mercenaries were soft continentals, they would not do it unless they got a hefty pay. So in order to bolster their own native regular forces, the farmer levies were vital to maintain a military presence and to both be able to have a guard against enemy raids and enough numbers to launch your own.
Also, nordic farmers, AND german farmers, were far more political beings than you give them credit for! During the historical age that the Empire is based on, farmer uprisings were both larger and sometimes rather succesful. So now the nobles bicker. Some nobles will, in order to bolster their own meagre forces (honestly, how many regiments of state troops do you think the run to the mill Middenland noble really have access too? Not many. The bulk of men he can call out to war IS his tenant farmers and those freemen living in his area that he have a good relation with.
In the swedish 15th and 16th centuries, a period with many wars, most of them civil wars in one form or the other, just like the War of the Roses nobles would try and get at least his "own" farmers with him. And more often than not, the local farmers supported their local noble, regardless of wether they were tenants or freemen.
So do not come and tell me the hardy and frostbitten men of Middenland are any different. The closest historical setting is not England or Germany but Scandinavia and Russia, and hell, did the farmers there know how to fight! A new Emperor being elected? Well, maybe they can finally get someone who will approve of farmers rights, or maybe one that will ease the tax pressure.
Anyway, during winter there is not much work that can be done, bar keeping war, feeding your stock and doing some forestry. It is infact the perfect time to pick down the axe and crossbow from the wall, put on the kettlehat and gather your kin and neighbours. There is a local sheriff who sits there, isolated in his manor and counting money. He has much to answer for. Now time has come to meet out some local justice, farmer style...
"Faxahus ligga i Svartom Brandom!"
