1. Change and continuity in Government Flashcards
What were the Fundamental Laws?
Essentially a new constitution which gave the Tsar extensive powers, it said:
. The Tsar had absolute, God-given autocratic power (Article 4).
. The Tsar retained sole authority over command of the army and dealings with foreign nations.
. The Tsar had the right to dissolve the Duma and call elections at any time.
. The Tsar retained supreme sovereign power so he could make laws without consulting the Duma (Article 87), however the Duma had the right to ratify the Tsar’s laws.
How did the 1906 Fundamental Laws alter the nature of the Russian government?
It created a bicameral Duma - the lower house was elected by an electorate made up of most male Russians. The upper house was called the Council of State and was partially appointed by the Tsar. The other half of the council was appointed by institutions like the Orthodox Church. The Council of State had the power to veto laws proposed by the lower house.
How did the political parties react to the Fundamental Laws?
It failed to satisfy the liberals as the limited powers of the Duma did not fulfil their demands due to the elected lower house not having ultimate law-making power. The promise of individual rights in the Fundamental Laws was recognised as largely meaningless by the liberals. The socialists argued that the new constitution failed to address Russia’s underlying problems. The SRs argued that it did nothing to satisfy the peasant’s desire for land and Lenin argued that they would not limit the oppression of the working class.
What was the political make-up of the First Duma?
The First Duma was made up of conservative Octoberists, the liberal Kadets and the Trudoviks. The SRs and the factions of the SDs (save the Trudoviks) boycotted the election.
What was the radicalism of the First Duma?
The newly elected Duma made a series of radical demands:
. The creation of universal suffrage
. Land reform
. Freedom for political prisoners
The Tsar then dissolved this parliament after 73 days because of their litany of radical demands.
What was the Vyborg Manifesto?
Led by the Kadets, radicals from the First Duma fled to Vyborg in Finland where they believed they’d be safe due to the Tsar’s promise to respect the traditional rights of the Finnish. They issued the Vyborg Manifesto which called on the Russian people to refuse to pay tax until the Duma was re-established. But the workers and the peasants didn’t support the middle class Kadets as they’d compromised with the Tsar in 1905. The Kadet leaders who issued the Manifesto were imprisoned and the Kadets lost popular support.
How was the political make-up of the Second Duma different to the First Duma?
The Bolsheviks, Mensheviks and the SRs took part, meaning the Second Duma was more radical than before. The Kadets lost a significant amount of their support and right wing parties who supported autocracy also gained support. This meant the Duma was split between conservatives and radicals. The Octoberists worked with Stolypin to pass his land reforms while the SRs and SDs rejected his proposed reforms. The police claimed that the Bolshevik Duma members were encouraging mutinies which Nicholas used as grounds for dissolving the Second Duma after three months.
What was Stolypin’s electoral law?
It created a weighted voting system. The vast majority of Russian men could still vote but the new system over-represented the aristocracy and middle class. Stolypin did this to guarantee a conservative majority in the Duma.
What were the Third and Fourth Dumas like?
Both were conservative-dominated, with the Third Duma not demanding major reforms and supporting Stolypin’s policies. The Third Duma became known as the Stolypin Duma. It lasted from 1907-1912 and then was replaced by the Fourth Duma from 1912-1917.
Why did Nicholas II refuse to work with the Third and Fourth Dumas?
. Autocracy was based on the view that the Tsar was the perfect representative of the Russian people however the Duma also claimed to be the representative of the people, therefore it undermined the Tsar’s authority.
. The Duma conducted research and wrote reports on the Tsar’s rule, therefore challenging his authority.
. The Dumas gave Nicholas’s opponents a public position to attack his government e.g when the Octoberists criticised his dependance on Rasputin.
What were the impacts of the Third and Fourth Dumas?
. Land Captains were replaced by more Justices of the Peace so the Zemstvos could reassert their authority.
. A plan to establish universal primary education was introduced.
. Some health and accident insurance programmes were developed to help workers.
These successes were a problem for the Tsar as they showed how the Dumas should play a larger part in Russian government.
