Modern land reforms across Europe (20th century)

Abstract

Agrarian reform constitutes one of the major vectors of transformation in the twentieth century. Although its presence in today’s political agenda is fading, its study remains essential for understanding how modern states have managed rural inequality, territorial integration, productive modernisation, and democratisation. As Hobsbawm observed, the most compelling argument in favour of agrarian reform is not grounded in productivity, but in equality. This statement encapsulates the structural tension running through all the processes analysed: the need to redistribute land in order to correct historical inequalities and, at the same time, to ensure the economic viability of agricultural holdings in a context of increasing international competition.