Local Government Flashcards
Alexander II [1855-1881]
local gov
• before 1861 provinces were areas under jurisdiction of noble landowners
– Village issues were discussed by the Mir who were Village elders
• [1864]
– Alexander II created the zemstvo (zemstva plural)
– were regional councils
– elected membership was voted by a mix of landowners, urban developers and peasants
– electors were selected by property qualifications
– this only occurred an areas parts of great Russia
• [1870]
– the Urban equivalent of the zemstva was created
– called the Duma
– the entry requirement to this was much tougher than the Zemstva
– therefore the workers and peasants were not allowed within it
• both bodies provided important services in fields of education, public health and transport in both urban and rural areas respectivly
Alexander III [1881-1893]
local gov
• [1881]
– set up land captains to monitor zemstva activities
– didn’t trust them to not cause opposition
Nicholas II [1893-1917]
local Gov
• by [1900]
– the Duma and zemstva were dominated by the third element
– who consisted of teachers, lawyers and doctors
– who demonstrated that the central government should be remodelled in the lines of the zemstva and Duma
– this was very liberal
– the first element was the government
– the second element was nobility
Nicholas II [1893-1917]
Soviets
• the first Soviet was in St Petersburg at the time of the October manifesto in 1905
– the aim was to coordinate strikes and protect factory workers
• soon after SRS and SDS wanted to gain representation on the executive committee of these soviets
– and Influence how the councils will run
Provisional Government [1917]
soviets
• in 1917 the first Soviet became the petrograd Soviet of the workers deputies
– later on the bolsheviks would dominate the executive committee
– during this time the petrograd Soviet would pass the Orfer N⁰ 1
– which placed ultimate authority over the soldiers in the hands of the soviets
• one view was that the petrobrand Soviet controlled Russia during the provisional government
• however after the July Days the Soviet was dominated by bolsheviks
– as there were 41,000 members in petrograd alone
– the mensheviks however only had 8,000 members total!
– therefore the bolsheviks were really those who were in charge
• after the July Days the bolsheviks no longer used the slogan “all power to the soviets”
This is likely due to out this point they were the soviets.
Lenin [1917-1924]
Soviets
After 1917 the zemstva and Duma were abolished for being bourgeoisie and counter revolutionary
• local government as a whole was essentially abolished and dominated by soviets
– who were simply representatives of the central government
– and carried out their orders not ones they’ve created by themselves
Alexander II [1855-1881]
Judicial reforms
• [1864]
– reforms were introduced such as the introduction of the jury system for criminal cases
– the creation of a hierarchy of courts to Cater of different types of cases
Incl:
– Military courts
– local courts (minor offences)
– district courts
– chambers & Senate (serious
crimes).
- Volost courts (for newly freed peasants)
– better pay for judges to reduce the chances of corruption
– and public attendance of courts was allowed
[1877]
• following The Assassination attempt on his life
– the new department of The Senate was set up to try political cases
• such as the vera Zasulich case
– who was a revolutionary who shot and wounded the governor of Saint Petersburg in 1878
– she was put on trial and she was found not guilty as actions with considered just
• this and the eventual assassination of Alexander II indicated the new policies under the Senate failed
Alexander III [1881-1893]
judiceral reforms
• [1881]
– Alexander II moved away from the Liberal approach to the law that had been adopted by his father:
– the police was centralized under the Minister for the interior
– special courts were designed for Political cases
– justices of the Peace replaced by land captains
Lenin [1917-1924]
Judicery system post 1917
[After 1917] during the communists
Judicial system was dominated by the idea of “revolutionary Justice”
• this was epitomized by the new criminal code of [1921]
– that legalized the use of terror to deter crimes (that is all anti-revolutionary behaviour )
– the whole judicial system rested on this principle to the end of the period in question
