Agrarian policy of the Polish government in the estimation of Franciszek Bujak Cover Image

Аграрна політика польського уряду в оцінці Францішка Буяка
Agrarian policy of the Polish government in the estimation of Franciszek Bujak

Author(s): Zoya Baran, Bogdan Sypko
Subject(s): Sociology, Political history, Social history
Published by: Szkoła Główna Handlowa w Warszawie
Keywords: land reform, agrarianism. colonization; politics

Summary/Abstract: In 1920 and 1925 in Poland, two laws were passed to solve the agrarian problem. The founder of the scientific school for the study of economic history, F. Bujak, outlined his vision of the problem, which was closely linked to the economic development of the country and the raising of the educational, cultural and political level of the peasantry. The adherent of the concept of agrarianism, the ideology of solidarity, the scientist opposed the revolutionary solution of the land issue, insisting on the legal basis for reform in the interests of the people and the state, and not individual political forces. He opposed the free requisitions of land (criticized the government scheme for payment for parceled land in the law of 1920), as well as its free transfer to the peasants. F. Bujak did not see an opportunity to grant the land to all those who wished and expressed his opposition to the excessive fragmentation of land. F. Bujak considered peasant farms in the size of 10-20 ha as the basis of agriculture in Poland, which is more profitable from an economic point of view. Warning that the settlement policy in the eastern territories could cause confrontation and, in general, contradict international regulations. Positively evaluating the new law of 1925 in the direction of eliminating the defects of the previous one (reimbursements were to be made at market prices, clearly defined categories of individuals who were eligible for land, the upper limit for newly-created farms, etc.), the scientist saw another inaccuracies and suggested ways to eliminate them. In general, the reform did not solve the land problem, and the settlement policy, which was the basis of the agrarian reform, only caused an aggravation of interethnic relations on the eastern territories.

  • Issue Year: 39/2019
  • Issue No: 3
  • Page Range: 89-102
  • Page Count: 14
  • Language: Russian