Agrarian Socialist Movement

in Hungary, the name widely used in historical literature for the revolutionary actions of the Hungarian agricultural proletariat in the periods 1891–94 and 1897–99.

It was produced by the deterioration in the situation of the rural poor—a result of the agrarian crisis of the 1890’s. The upsurge in the workers’ movement and the activities of the workers’ circles adherent to the Hungarian Social Democratic Party, founded in 1890, had a considerable influence on the development of the agrarian socialist movement. The actions of agricultural workers led to clashes with gendarmes and troops. The movement revived in 1897 after experiencing a certain decline. It was led by J. Várkony’s group, which had broken with the opportunistic leaders of the Hungarian Social Democratic Party who refused to direct the movement. In 1899 the movement was suppressed by government troops and gendarmes.