This book examines Moscow's politics and urban history between the failed 1905 Revolution and the outbreak of World War I, a time when the city led the way in attempting to resolve Russia's urban crisis. The Moscow élite responded to acute urban problems with a liberal programme of reform in housing, employment, education, and other social services, but were thwarted by strong opposition from Tsarist officials. This heightened a conflict that was to culminate in the Revolutions of 1917.