AGRARIAN TENDENCIES IN EUROPE 59 



on the basis of peasant proprietorships similar to 

 those of France and Italy. But the Socialists op- 

 posed increasing the number of landowners in this 

 way, as private ownership would gain in strength 

 by such a procedure. The prevention of this plan 

 partly accounts for the success of the Agrarian Rev- 

 olution that followed the World War. 



In southeastern Europe agrarian reforms brought 

 about by war conditions have taken the form of an 

 agrarian revolution. The estates of the large land- 

 owners almost everywhere have been expropriated 

 on terms which virtually amount to confiscation. 

 This Agrarian Revolution has coincided in nearly 

 every instance with a vast political upheaval, which 

 has resulted in an almost complete collapse of old 

 political and economic organizations, and made pos- 

 sible radical changes in rural economic and social 

 institutions. 



In Roumania, for example, agrarian problems 

 were pressing for solution on the eve of the World 

 War. A peasant rising had occurred in 1907 which 

 resulted in the creation of the Casa Rurala, or land 

 bank. But the activities of the bank in providing 

 rural credit had proved disappointing, as less than 

 fifty thousand acres of land had actually come into 

 possession of the peasantry through its aid prior 

 to Roumania's entry into the War. "Indeed," says 

 If or L. Evans, "it was slowly becoming apparent 

 that recourse would have to be had to very drastic 

 measures before the land-hunger of the rural popu- 



