12 Representing Peasants and Farmers: Parties, Movements, and Leaders Across Europe
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Wim van Meurs
Abstract
Over the twentieth century, politicians of various ideological beliefs and party denominations have claimed to represent “the peasant” or “the village” in the national capital. At first sight, the variety-from fascist to communist, from Scandinavian farmers to Romanian nationalists and German Christian Democrats-is baffling. The present contribution argues that in essence they championed one out of three generic solutions to the “agrarian question”: a continuation of the status quo with piecemeal improvements, a return to an idealized early-modern society, or a revolutionary breakthrough overcoming the peasantry’s conservative stronghold. Much in these grand narratives and their confrontation with economic and societal realities depended on the representative’s understanding of those he claimed to represent. Either as “farmers” and hence rational economic actors or, alternatively, as “peasants” and hence authentic and/or backward. On closer scrutiny, many grand narratives contain significant strands of both understandings.
Abstract
Over the twentieth century, politicians of various ideological beliefs and party denominations have claimed to represent “the peasant” or “the village” in the national capital. At first sight, the variety-from fascist to communist, from Scandinavian farmers to Romanian nationalists and German Christian Democrats-is baffling. The present contribution argues that in essence they championed one out of three generic solutions to the “agrarian question”: a continuation of the status quo with piecemeal improvements, a return to an idealized early-modern society, or a revolutionary breakthrough overcoming the peasantry’s conservative stronghold. Much in these grand narratives and their confrontation with economic and societal realities depended on the representative’s understanding of those he claimed to represent. Either as “farmers” and hence rational economic actors or, alternatively, as “peasants” and hence authentic and/or backward. On closer scrutiny, many grand narratives contain significant strands of both understandings.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Table of Contents V
- On the “Contemporary European History” Handbook Series VII
- 1 Living with the Land: Introduction 1
-
I Working the Land
- 2 Opening Up the Land: Infrastructures in Rural Europe 15
- 3 Reclaiming the Land: The Drainage Paradigm and the Making of Twentieth-Century Rural Europe 37
- 4 Developing Rural Regions: Europe in the World 61
-
II Managing Land and Labor
- 5 Mediating Modernity: The Social History of Rural Domestic Education in Northwestern Europe 83
- 6 Pooling Resources in the European Countryside: Cooperative Models, Rural Capitalism, and Beyond 109
- 7 Farming under Occupation: Rural Actors and the Social Dynamics of Occupation during World War II 133
- 8 Transforming Agriculture and Rurality: The Common Agricultural Policy, Actors, National Adaptation and Responses to Policy Challenges 155
-
III Knowing the Land
- 9 Registering Land and Forests: European Institutions and Practices of Landownership 177
- 10 Experimenting with Scientific Management: New Approaches to Agricultural Labor in the Twentieth Century 205
- 11 Developing Agriculture, Modernizing Rural Society: Transnational Dimensions of Agricultural Expertise 227
-
IV Organizing Life on the Land
- 12 Representing Peasants and Farmers: Parties, Movements, and Leaders Across Europe 251
- 13 Governing the Village: Rural Mayors and the Transformations of Self-Government in Europe 281
- 14 Managing Culture in the European Countryside: The Modern Roots of Rural Traditions 301
- 15 Challenging Socialist Village Structures: Youth in Rural Regions since 1945 325
- List of Contributors 345
- Index 349
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Table of Contents V
- On the “Contemporary European History” Handbook Series VII
- 1 Living with the Land: Introduction 1
-
I Working the Land
- 2 Opening Up the Land: Infrastructures in Rural Europe 15
- 3 Reclaiming the Land: The Drainage Paradigm and the Making of Twentieth-Century Rural Europe 37
- 4 Developing Rural Regions: Europe in the World 61
-
II Managing Land and Labor
- 5 Mediating Modernity: The Social History of Rural Domestic Education in Northwestern Europe 83
- 6 Pooling Resources in the European Countryside: Cooperative Models, Rural Capitalism, and Beyond 109
- 7 Farming under Occupation: Rural Actors and the Social Dynamics of Occupation during World War II 133
- 8 Transforming Agriculture and Rurality: The Common Agricultural Policy, Actors, National Adaptation and Responses to Policy Challenges 155
-
III Knowing the Land
- 9 Registering Land and Forests: European Institutions and Practices of Landownership 177
- 10 Experimenting with Scientific Management: New Approaches to Agricultural Labor in the Twentieth Century 205
- 11 Developing Agriculture, Modernizing Rural Society: Transnational Dimensions of Agricultural Expertise 227
-
IV Organizing Life on the Land
- 12 Representing Peasants and Farmers: Parties, Movements, and Leaders Across Europe 251
- 13 Governing the Village: Rural Mayors and the Transformations of Self-Government in Europe 281
- 14 Managing Culture in the European Countryside: The Modern Roots of Rural Traditions 301
- 15 Challenging Socialist Village Structures: Youth in Rural Regions since 1945 325
- List of Contributors 345
- Index 349
