CHAPTER III 



RECENT AGRARIAN TENDENCIES IN EUROPE 



When we turn from agarianism of the past to 

 agrarian movements of recent times in Europe, we 

 find that both the methods and motives of the rural 

 population have changed. The peasant risings of 

 the past grew out of restrictions incident to land 

 tenure, and protests were against landlords whose 

 power deprived the tillers of the soil of freedom of 

 action and a rightful share of the farm produce. 

 Agrarian agitations in Europe in recent times have 

 resulted mainly from dissatisfaction with farm labor 

 conditions, costs of transportation and uneconomic 

 systems of distribution. 



Agrarianism as an expression of concerted action 

 on the part of farm producers may be said to have 

 disappeared almost during the nineteenth century. 

 With the passing of servile tenure, farmers every- 

 where seemed to have lost their consciousness of 

 solidarity. If any feeling of injustice existed in 

 the first half of this century, at least it was sub- 

 merged in the rising tide of industrialism. Both 

 the mechanical and industrial revolutions began in 

 the eighteenth century, but their full effects were 

 not attained until far into the nineteenth century. 



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