Land reform in the Ukrainian State (april - november 1918): legislative support, implementation features, and outcomes

Abstract

The purpose of this scholarly article is to analyze the development of the fundamental principles, legislative support, implementation stages, and outcomes of land reform during the period of the Ukrainian State (April–November 1918). The following research objectives are outlined: to reveal the conceptual vision of land reform as proposed by the new authorities; to examine the organizational and legal mechanisms for implementing the declared land changes, taking into account internal and external factors and obligations; and to identify the complex set of factors that prevented the government of the Ukrainian State from carrying out an effective land reform.

The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, scientismс, objectivity, and systematicity. The application of methods such as analysis and synthesis, generalization, and the historical-comparative method enabled the examination of the organizational and legal framework, specific features, and outcomes of the land reform during the period of the Ukrainian State under P. Skoropadskyi.

The results of the study indicate that, although the land reform initiatives proposed by the Hetmanate were largely progressive, they were not fully implemented in practice. The main obstacles to the implementation of land reform included: the absence of a stable governmental team to carry out agrarian transformations; the resurgence of landowners’ “restoration” efforts; the destructive stance of most Ukrainian political forces; the lack of financial and technological support for land reform; the peasant uprising and partisan movement; the occupation-oriented behavior of the leadership of the Central Powers; and the insufficient time available to implement the Hetmanate’s land reform program.