Discussion about Reasons for the Dissolution of the Special Meeting on the Needs of the Agricultural Industry

The article is devoted to the circumstances and reasons for the dissolution of the interdepartmental Special Conference on the Needs of the Rural Industry (1902-1905), as well as its signifi cance and infl uence on subsequent reforms. The author emphasizes the controversial nature of this issue in contemporary Russian historiography. The main conclusion is that three factors infl uenced the dissolution of the Special Conference: intrigues on the part of bureaucratic fi gures hostile to Witte (Goremykin, the Trepov brothers, Krivoshein); deep dissatisfaction of reactionary circles with Witte and his policy; and the internal situation in Russia on the eve of the First Russian Revolution of 1905. Despite the intrigues and unrealized ambitions by members of Nicholas II’s government, the ideas and proposals put forward during the work of local committees were later incorporated into the reform program proposed by P.A. Stolypin.