8/18/2019 Research – Farming 1870 Russia
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Research – Farming 1870-1905 In Russia
Agriculture was a massive part of Russia’s economy. Even with
theindustrialization, most Russians were peasants working on the
land. To remain in power the Romanovs had to keep the peasants
on their
side. (econd !ynasty rulers of Russia"
#n $%&$, Ale'ander ## had emancipated the serfs. owever,
such amove had not run smoothly and )y the start of the *+th,
landpro)lems remained a ma-or issue for the government. The
$/Revolution had shown that the people in the cities
werediscontented. The government could not take for granted the
loyaltyof the peasants. #f they lost the support of )oth groups,
then thegovernment was in e'treme trou)le.
Russia0s systems for agricultural production in1uenced the
attitudesof peasants and other social groups to reform against
thegovernment and promote social changes. 2At the )eginning of
thetwentieth century, agriculture constituted the single largest
sectorof the Russian economy, producing appro'imately one3half of
thenational income and employing two3thirds of Russia’s
population4. This illustrates the tremendous role peasants
played economically5thus making them detrimental to the
revolutionary ideology of thepopulist and social democrats. At the
end of the $th century,Russian agriculture as a whole was the worst
in Europe. The Russiansystem of agriculture lacked capital
investment and technological
advancement. 6ivestock productivity was notoriously )ackwards
andthe lack of grazing land such as meadows forced livestock to
grazein fallow uncultivated land. 7oth the crop and livestock
system failedto )e ade8uate to withstand the Russian winters.
!uring the Tsaristrule, the agricultural economy diverged from
su)sistence productionto production directly for the market. Along
with the agriculturalfailures, Russia had a rapid population
growth, railroads e'pandedacross farmland, and in1ation attacked
the price of commodities.Restrictions were placed on the
distri)ution of food and ultimatelylead to famines. Agricultural
di9culties in Russia limited theeconomy, in1uencing social reforms
and assisting the rise of the
7olshevik party.
According to historian :ichael 6ynch, the $%; census
categorisedthe population of Russia in these )road class
groups<Upper classes: Royalty, nobility, higher clergy: 12.5 per
cent.Middle classes: Merchants, bureaucrats, professionals: 1.5
percent.Working classes: Factory workers, artisans, soldiers,
sailors: 4 percent.Peasants: anded and landless far!ers: "2 per
cent.
