Stolypin's agrarian reform is success or failure?

Stolypin's agrarian reform was a logical effort to eliminate the problems identified by the revolution of 1905-1907. Attempts to solve the agrarian question until 1906 were several. But they all boiled down either to seizing land from the landlords and giving it to the peasants, or to using nationalized lands for these purposes.

P. A. Stolypin not without justification decided that the only support of the monarchy is precisely the landlords and well-to-do peasants. The seizure of the landed estates meant the undermining of the authority of the emperor and, as a consequence, the possibility of another revolution.

To maintain tsarist power, Stolypin, in August 1906, a government program was announced, in which a number of reforms were proposed concerning freedom of religion, equality, police regulations, local government, peasant question, education. But of all the proposed embodiments, only Stolypin's agrarian reform found its embodiment. Its goal was to destroy the communal system and give the peasants the land. The peasant was to become the owner of the land, which previously belonged to the community. There were two ways to determine the allotment:

• If communal lands have not been re-distributed over the past twenty-four years, then every peasant at any time could claim his property in personal property.
• If such a redistribution was, then land was withdrawn to the land that was processed by the latter.

In addition, the 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 considerable plots in the hands of the most interested and able-bodied peasants.

On the other hand, those who did not have sufficient means to buy land, the Stolypin agrarian reform supposed to move to free areas where there were uncultivated state lands - to the Far East, Siberia, Central Asia, the Caucasus. Settlers were granted 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 interest.

Stolypin's agrarian reform, in its essence, put the peasants in the conditions of a market economy, where their prosperity depended on how they managed to dispose of their property. It was assumed that in their areas they would work more efficiently, triggering the flourishing of agriculture. Many of them sold land, and they went to the city to work, which led to the influx of labor. Others emigrated abroad in search of better living conditions.

Stolypin's agrarian reform and its results did not justify the hopes of Prime Minister PA Stolypin and the Russian government. In total, less than one-third of the peasant households left the community. 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, inability to manage without community support. Over the years, all have become accustomed to the fact that the community takes responsibility for each of its members.

But, nevertheless, Stolypin's agrarian reform had positive results:

• It was the beginning of private ownership of land.
• The productivity of peasant land has increased.
• The demand for the agricultural industry has increased.
• The labor market has grown.