1. The nature of Tsarist government and royal power in 1914

Question 1

How can a case by made for the view that, by 1914, autocracy in Russia had been re-established?

Answer 1

• Impact of Fundamental Laws
• Duma’s limitation within the law-making sphere
• Absence of the rule of law

Question 2

How did the Fundamental Laws limit the Duma?

Answer 2

• Effectively limited it to the sphere of law-making - only one aspect of govt work
• No serious limits on the Tsar’s power outside of this
• Defence, foreign affairs, public order policy - Tsar and ministers able to make decisions without reference to the Duma

Question 3

How was the Duma unable to impose itself within the law-making sphere?

Answer 3

• Tsar and ministers silenced Duma in 1906 and 1907 - used their power to dissolve it and made extensive use of their power under Article 87 to make laws by decree without Duma being in session

E.g. Stolypin used Article 87 to enact land reforms - by 1914, Duma was, from govt point of view, sometimes an irritant but wasn’t a threat

Question 4

Absence of the rule of law in Russia

Answer 4

• Characteristically absent in autocratic states - everyone subject to the law in such countries that have it
• Certainly non-existent before 1905 - this didn’t change after 1905 Rev.
• 1907 - govt broke the Fundamental Laws when it amended the 1905 electoral law - no consequences

Question 5

Richard Charques

Answer 5

British historian writing in 1950s - made the same point when he characterised post-1906 Russia as ‘a Demi-semi-constitutional monarchy’

Question 6

Why, in 1914, can Russia perhaps best be described as a largely rather than fully autocratic state?

Answer 6

• Russia did have a constitution of sorts in the shape of the 1906 Fundamental Laws:
• Duma may, by 1914, have been reduced to a talking shop but it was an elected national legislative body - something which Russia didn’t have before 1906
• 1914 - political parties within limits free to criticise the regime. Had not been the case before 1906 - by 1914, relative free press in Russia

Question 7

Why were supporters, as well as opponents, of the Tsar often despaired of his style of government?

Answer 7

1) His inaccessibility - spent most time in palace at Tsarkoye Selo - a town 15 miles outside St Petersburg, or at Livadia (summer residence on Black Sea)
2) He left aside his determination to uphold the principle of autocracy - he had no real policies of his own - failed to give govt clear direction
- Ministers left to their own devices - but were repudiated if their policies turned out badly
- For most of his reign - didn’t delegate authority to recognised chief minister (recipe for struggles between ministers for power and influence)