OTHER SCHEMES OF LAND REFORM 269 



pelled to submit to the miseries of their seemingly 

 hopeless position. The land reforms were begun by- 

 statesmen, and every obstacle in the way of their 

 being carried out effectively was resolutely removed. 

 These men did not act solely for the personal welfare 

 of the cultivators. They took a wider view, and con- 

 sidered that the creation of a multitude of free culti- 

 vating owners was absolutely necessary for the future 

 strength and welfare of the country as a whole. With 

 them the social and political aspects of the question 

 were the most grave, economic motives taking a 

 second place. 



They treated the pleas "no demand," "no land 

 hunger," and other pretexts as simply irrelevant to 

 the objects they had in view. The opposition of the 

 landed aristocracy (short-sighted opposition as after- 

 events proved) was difficult to deal with, but was 

 overborne. Stein, referring afterwards to this diffi- 

 culty, wrote : " But the King stood firm, and God 

 maintained the right. "^ 



The social and political condition of Prussia at that 

 time — the first decade of years of the nineteenth cen- 

 tury — was at its lowest ebb. From this legislation 

 gradually sprang a contented, loyal, and prosperous 

 population, with strong personal interests in the wel- 

 fare of the nation. 



The political result need not be dwelt on here, but 

 it might be safely said that later events, which led to 

 the consolidation of the empire, were made possible 

 mainly by the land reforms referred to. 



^ By this legislation " Not only were all ranks in the realm — land- 

 lords, citizens, and peasants — most materially benefited, but the peasant 

 proprietors were raised to a much more important place in the economy 

 of the State." Mr. Harris Gastrell, British Consul, Berlin (Parliamentary 

 Paper, C. 66, 1870). 



