1. Nicholas II's relations with the Dumas, 1906-14

Question 1

Which party did Nicholas II openly praise?

Answer 1

• Union of Russia People - extreme right-wing party that campaign for the Duma’s abolition

Question 2

Tsar views on the first two Duma

Answer 2

• Couldn’t reconcile himself to Duma - believed its existence was an affront to principle of autocracy
• Claimed With forced him into allowing it
• Day-to-day management of Duma left to ministers - he never addressed them again

Welcomed dissolution of 1st Duma in 1906 and chided ministers for not acting quickly against 2nd Duma

Question 3

Tsar views on 3rd and 4th Dumas

Answer 3

Tsar’s most committed opponents (Kadets, Trudoviks, socialists) - won fewer than 100 seats between them

• 3rd Duma dominated by Octobrists - 154 seats - and 150 pro-regime right-wingers
• 4th Duma - right-wing little stronger - Octobrists little weaker - did little to soften hostility to it

Tsar acknowledged they were less troublesome
- But was repeatedly infuriated by conduct of Octobrist leader - Alexander Guchkov

Question 4

Why was the Tsar infuriated by the conduct of Alexander Guchkov?

Answer 4

• Debate in 1907 - goaded by Duma right-wingers describing Nicholas II as an autocrat - Guchkov insisted that post-1905 Russia wasn’t an autocracy
• 1908 - he made a speech in Duma criticising the number of senior positions in the armed forces held by members of the royal family - accused Nicholas II of nepotism
• 1912 - publicly attacked growing influence in royal circles of Grigory Rasputin - Tsar and his wife outraged - believed he had power to control son’s haemophilia

Question 5

Background of Guchkov

Answer 5

• Great-grandson of a serf who showed talent for making money, bought freedom and made a fortune in the textile business - unusual upward mobility, but not unique
• Guchkov: successful businessman, head of major insurance company
• Champion of Moscow’s business and financial community as a politician
• Restless character, liking for danger - had been a soldier and an adventure before entering politics

Question 6

Threats to the Duma in the years immediately before WWI

Answer 6

• Number of influential ministers called for it to be stripped of its powers and turned into a purely consultative body
• Tempting for Tsar - in the end, though, came down on the side of other ministers who urged caution - only after prolonged debate in govt circles