Land reform as a "fair" settlement with the aristocracy in Czechoslovakia from the perspective of contemporary sources
Abstract
Land reform as a "fair" settlement with the aristocracy in Czechoslovakia from the perspective of contemporary sources Land reform was one of the most important acts of the First Czechoslovak Republic. It formally completed the democratic state system, in which all citizens were equal and all had the same opportunities, thus helping to ease social extremes.
On the other hand, this particular act had an impact on one whole social group of the population, no matter the justifications that were made for it using historical or socio-political arguments. Although political declarations regarding land reform made no mention of former members of the aristocracy, but rather landowners, the idea of owners of large areas of land being former aristocrats resonated strongly within public opinion, with these members of the nobility representing one of the linchpins of the old system, and also being German, thus representing a natural enemy of the new republic.
I have endeavoured to prove this hypothesis using a number of excerpts from contemporaneous documents, whether they were written by land reform sympathisers or in contrast they were criticising the chosen form of land tenure change in Czechoslovakia. It is fascinating that following this period of great revolutionary spirit in which there was a strong anti-aristocratic element to public opinion, the situation subsequently settled to such an extent that society was once again showing respect for the former noble class.
Land reform was not as sweeping or severe in its consequences as it had seemed to begin with. A large proportion of the land grabbed was returned to its original owner within 30 years.
The land reform process nevertheless likely left some landowners feeling great bitterness. The question is to what extent this fact let to any later tendency towards the ideology of National Socialism.
This is a field of study which should continue to be investigated in more detail.