Russian government policy and the agricultural sector during the Witte period

The end of the nineteenth century was a crucial time in Russian history. History had woven itself so that at this point the entire social system was coming under stress. It was a time when change was past due and would force itself in one way or another. Crucial problems and conflicts that had been slowly developing were reaching an explosive point. This was particularly true in the area of economics, although the economic problems can be understood only as part of the problems of the entire social structure. The economic system had reached a point where it no longer worked to provide what the country needed to survive. The purpose of this paper is to analyze government policy at this crucial period of development, considering particularly the problems of the predominant agricultural sector. Hopefully, some insights may be gained into why governments follow the policies that they do and how governments may function more effectively.