The Struggle Against German Domination in the Field of Land Ownership in the Tauride Province in 1905–1917

Abstract

The historical upheavals of the first quarter of the 20th century seriously affected the state of land holdings of German settlers in the Russian Empire. The revolution of 1905 and the First World War affected the farms of German owners in particular and changed the system of land relations in general. Unjustified interference of state structures in matters of private land ownership, when the estates of German settlers were liquidated without taking into account their economic profitability, adversely affected not only the farms themselves, but also the state as a whole. Legalizations introduced in 1915–1916 on the reduction of German land ownership affected the property system of the former colonists of the Tauride Province. The adoption of draft laws was a controversial phenomenon and caused social instability in society. The implementation of state decisions primarily affected the most prosperous and well-known German dynasties, which suffered enormous losses. A negative attitude towards the German ethnic group was systematically formed in society, which led to a resonance among other ethnic groups. In view of the negative impact of these steps on the economic, political, and social condition in the Tauride province, it was decided to temporarily suspend the previously adopted laws. The suspension of the processes was often an irreversible process, since the land property had already been alienated and put up for sale. At the same time, most of the Crimean lands were already at the disposal of the state, despite the imperfection of the current legislative framework. However, in February 1917, the fate of the German estates was predetermined by the seizure of “living and dead” inventory. This was the first manifestation of changes in private land ownership in German settlements, which fully occurred in the early 1920s.