On The Russian Peasant Problem During The Transition Period (1861-1917)

The peasant problem has been an important question, which affected the Russian social development and the national stablity since the second half of the 19th century. Because of Russian capitalism's development and the serfdom crisis's deepening, the peasant question is more and more obivious. Reforming the serf system from the top downward and solving farmer's freedom and the land question are the Czar government important actions that maintains own benefit and the retrieval reign crisis. After serfdom reform, the Russian peasants, compared with the pre-reform, changed a lot in the social life. But reform did not really allow farmers to possess land and access to free, only farmers possessed the land in the virtual legal point, instead of landlord the village became the new guardian of the farmers. This had led to a serious crisis, increasingly intense social conflicts and the continious peasants uprising and unrest came out. In order to get rid of the crisis and consolidate the reign, Stolypin conducted the agricultural reform. Because the reform was boycotted by peasants and the reason of the ruling class and the internal contradictions, the reform ended in failure. Serfdom reform and Stolypin's reform are important attempt to solve the peasants'problem, but the two reforms did not solved farmers'issues, the life level of farmers did not be improved, which made the peasant onto the way to the revolution. The process of solving the issues of peasant reflected the continuous development of modern Russia and explained the reason why Russia peasants are onto the way to the revolution, in Russia's history it was of important significance and value.The paper consists of five parts:The first part mainly analyzes the reasons why the farmers problem were so serious before the reform from two sides, one is with the development of capitalism in Russia, the capitalism industry demanding the free labors; the other is with the emergence of the crisis, reforming the serf system and solving the peasant identity and land problem to save the Czar's authoritarian reign.The second part focuses on initial attempts to solve the peasant's problems, the serfdom reform, the factors and the preparation that are needed in the liberation of the serfs and dissertation on the important content of the serf reform.The third major part of the serfdom system after the reform of the status of farmers. After the reform, farmers from the land and physical conditions start to explore the farmers after the reform of social life, by the important changes, the reform of serfdom for farmers to resolve the extent of the problem.Part IV of the crisis from the start with the farmers, on Stolypin reforms. Stolypin for farmers through awareness of the problem, analyze the reasons for the Stolypin reforms, reform of the content and the failure of reform measures and the causes and effects.Part V is mainly about farmers problem and the relationship between the October Revolution and the peasant question and analysing eventual reasons for the revolution and the relationship between farmers and the revolution and a series of changes and impact through the revolution.