Well, they don't all have pitchforks. Some have guns and horses. Think "American Revolution". Don't take the sprite too literally.
Of course in the early game, most armies were armed with only pikes and halberds and bows - little better than many peasant armies.
And, like the Hussites, if the revolt was national in nature, talented military leaders would often come forward to fight for the rebels. Jan Ziska had a lot of military experience before taking up the Hussite cause, and his brilliance turned rabble into a strong army.
