About the book: year / The book by American lawyer Stephen Williams tells how, starting in 1906, on the eve of the World War and the catastrophic revolution, the Russian The government undertook what was probably the most massive “privatization” in history, radically changing the property regime under which 90 million peasants lived. The author's study of property rights reforms reveals the strengths and weaknesses of radical reforms aimed at creating a liberal democracy and carried out by a government that cannot be described as either liberal or democratic. S. Williams is looking for an answer to the questions: can a truly liberal reform be successfully introduced “from above” or should it be carried out through “grassroots” activity by forming public groups that wrest concessions from the state? Or is liberal democracy a product of exceptional historical circumstances and cannot be created anywhere except in a small number of countries? The author examines the impact of the Stolypin reform on economic productivity and social relations, as well as the weaknesses of the authoritarian reform process - the political passivity of interested groups of the population, the blurring of basic rights and the risk of limiting themselves to half measures. The book is intended for a wide range of readers interested in Russian history, property rights and economic transformations. The publishing layout of the book is saved in a4.pdf format.