Developments In Agriculture Flashcards
What was the rural economy like until 1906?
-provided livelihood for 80-90% of Rus population
-was largely ignored or sacrificed in interests of industrialisation
Why did this change from 1906?
-Stolypin appointed minister of internal affairs 1906
What was farming like before 1906?
-most farming remained small scale in hands of former serfs + state peasants tied to local Mir by redemption dues
-heavily taxed + exploited by the state
What was the land situation like before 1906?
-Rus population growing but land available not
-subdivision of estates caused average holding fall from 35 acres 1877 to 28 by 1905
What proved insufficient in alleviating pressure of the growing population of resources?
-gov initiative 1896 sponsor emigration to agric settlement in Siberian opened by trans Siberian railway but insufficient alleviating growing population on resources
What was still widely used in agri before 1906?
-the solcha (wooden plough)
-medieval relation systems which wastefully left fallow land each year
-lack of husbandry deprived soil of manure so grain output from American farms on average 1 + 1/2x greater for same amount of land
How did some peasants manage to improve themselves?
-bought up land + farming more efficiently - known as kulaks
-Stolypin sought to produce more Kulaks - the ‘sturdy and strong’
What was Stolypin’s purpose in producing more kulaks?
-aimed win their loyalty to tsardom
-develop econ by improving agri + creating internal market for products of Ind
What did Stolypin want the peasant to become?
-permanent owners of their land
-intended each peasants land be in one piece + not scattered strips
What did he want for the peasants with their own land?
-for them be able develop as wished without interference by the Mir
What did this demand?
-complete transformation of communal pattern of Rus rural life
When and how did his programme of agri reform begin?
-began 1903
-with Mir’s responsibility to pay taxes on behalf of peasants in village removed
When did major changes begin?
-after unrest + violence of 1905 + Stolypin’s promotion
What happened in September 1906?
-more state + crown land available peasants to buy
-gov subsides encourage migration + settlement in Siberia increased
What happened in Oct 1906?
-peasants granted equal rights in local administration
What happened in Nov 1906?
-peasants given right leave commune
-collective land ownership by family is abolished
What did this abolishment of collective land ownership by a family make?
-made land personal property of individual - usually eldest male
What else did Stolypin allow in Nov 1906?
-withdraw land from commune + consolidate scattered strips into one compact farm
-new peasants land bank est. he,p peasants fund land ownership
What was set up to assist in this transition?
-land organisation commissions set up
-contained representatives elected by peasants to supervise
What happened with redemption Jan 1907?
-redemption payment abolished as promised 1905
What did Stolypin claim regarding this transition?
-claimed to need 20 years of peace for reforms have full affect
-but WW1 prevented this
What did this legislation encourage?
-land transfers + development of larger farms
-poorer peasants encouraged sell out to more prosperous ones
How did the hereditary ownership of land change?
-increased from 20% 1905 to nearly 50% 1915
What happened to grain production?
-rose annually from 56m tons 1900 to 90m 1914
-by 1900 Rus worlds leading cereal exporter
What was the impact of Stolypin’s encouragement of emigration?
-took 3.5m peasants away from over-populated rural districts of south + west to Siberia
-helped Siberia develop into major agri region specialising in dairy + cereals by 1915
Why were so,e of the measures not successful regarding consolidating land applications?
-by 1913 only 1.3m out of 5m applications for consolidation + hereditary tenure of individual farms dealt with
How much land has accentually been transferred?
-by 1914 only around 10% of land transferred from communal to private ownership
What happened with the peasant holdings?
-by 1914 90% peasant holdings still in traditional strips with conservative peasants reluctant give up traditional practice + security Mir provided
What was the issue with landowners?
-reluctant give up land
-difficulties dividing common land brought legal battles - 50% land remained in hands of nobility
What happened to Stolypin’s plans to improve the number of kulaks?
-only 1% achieved kulaks status
-many of rest forced leave their farms + join bands of migrant labourers looking for seasonal farm work or Ind employment
