Stolypin's agrarian reform was a legitimate effort to address the problems identified by the revolution of 1905-1907. Before 1906 there were several attempts to solve the agrarian question. But all of them boiled down either to the seizure of land from the landowners and the allocation of it to the peasants, or to the use of nationalized lands for these purposes.
P. A. Stolypin, not without reason, decided that the only support of the monarchy was precisely the landlords and we althy peasants. The seizure of landed estates meant undermining the authority of the emperor and, as a result, the possibility of another revolution.
To maintain the royal power, Pyotr Stolypin in August 1906 announced a government program in which a number of reforms were proposed regarding freedom of religion, equality, police charters, local government, the peasant question, and education. But of all the proposals, only Stolypin's agrarian reform found its embodiment. Its goal was to destroy the communal system and allocate land to the peasants. The peasant had to become the owner of the land that previously belonged to the community. Forthere were two ways to determine the allotment:
- If communal lands have not been redistributed over the past twenty-four years, then every peasant could claim his allotment as personal property at any time.
- If there was such a redistribution, then the land that was processed last went into land ownership.
In addition, peasants had the opportunity to buy land on credit at low mortgage rates. For these purposes, a peasant credit bank was created. The sale of land plots made it possible to concentrate significant plots in the hands of the most interested and able-bodied peasants.
On the other hand, those who did not have sufficient funds to buy land, Stolypin's agrarian reform intended to relocate to free territories where there were uncultivated state lands - to the Far East, Siberia, Central Asia, the Caucasus. Settlers were provided with a number of benefits, including a five-year tax exemption, low cost of railway tickets, forgiveness of arrears, a loan in the amount of 100-400 rubles without charging interest.
The Stolypin agrarian reform, in its essence, put the peasants in a market economy, where their prosperity depended on how they were able to dispose of their property. It was assumed that they would work more efficiently on their plots, causing the flourishing of agriculture. Many of them sold their land, and they themselves went to the city to work, which led to an influx of labor. Others emigrated forborder in search of better living conditions.
Stolypin's agrarian reform and its results did not justify the hopes of Prime Minister P. A. Stolypin and the Russian government. In total, less than one third of the peasant households left the community during its holding. The reason for this was that the reform did not take into account the patriarchal way of life of the peasants, their fear of independent activity, and their inability to manage without community support. Over the years, everyone has become accustomed to the fact that the community takes responsibility for each of its members.
But, nevertheless, the Stolypin agrarian reform had positive results:
- Private land ownership began.
- The productivity of farmland has increased.
- The demand for the agricultural industry has increased.
- The labor market has increased.
