N of G- Ideology, central, local, rep+enf Flashcards
What was the Tsars’ initial system of government?
the tsar council of ministers imperial council of state the senate the committee of ministers
What adaptations were brought in to the system of government after 1905?
the tsar council of ministers the state council the duma the senate no more the committee of ministers or imp council og state
What were some limitations of the Duma?
Elections to the Duma were through electoral colleges- unequal. The Tsar dissolved the first two Dumas within months as they did not support his ministers well. There were two more subservient Dumas
What was the democratic looking system used by the Communists?
the sovnarkom
central executive committee (politburo,ogburo,orgburo)
all russian congress of soviets (elections in towns)
What did Stalin reimpose that Lenin had previously removed?
Superstructure, whereby his state would plan the road to socialism, Lenin had removed the old Tsarist superstructure
What was the reality of the democratic looking Communist system?
The party told Sovnarkom what to do. The Politburo dominated the Central Committee and orders were passed down and managed by leading cadres and approved nomenklatura
What was the role of the ogburo, orgburo and politburo?
Ogburo- maintaining order and dealing w opposition
Orgburo- organised party affairs
politburo- elite bolsheviks responsible for policy
What happened between the first and second duma?
New approach to dealing with dissidents adopted- key kadet and labourist party members who had signed the vyborg manifesto were arrested
What was the vyborg manifesto?
Dissolved the first duma
Who were the kadets?
Organisation unwaveringly committed to full citizenship for all of Russia’s minorities- and supported Jewish emancipation
Who were the labourists?
Supporters of workers’ rights
1936 Stalin’s constitution development in central admin
Included new ‘representative bodies’
• Supreme Soviet of the USSR (main lawmaking body)
• Soviet of the Union (contained representatives from the whole of the USSR)
• Soviet of Nationalities (represented particular regional groups)
BUT!! Article 126 of Stalin’s Constitution ensured that the Supreme Soviet was really the Communist Party’s
puppet
1905 october manifesto development in central admin
October Manifesto led to the abolishment of the Committee of Ministers, promising greater
representation duties divided between
• State Council (kept a check on the activity of the Duma)
• Duma (elected assembly of people representing a range of social groups)
• BUT!! Fundamental Laws ensured that this apparent move towards democracy was actually just supreme
autocracy in disguise (article 87)
Third element (local gov)
enlightened duma/zemstva members (lawyers, doctors teachers) who thought central gov should be remodelled on the lines of the zemstva and duma
Explain the soviets (local gov)
Emerged after the october manifesto- concerned with coordinating strikes and protecting factory workers. Petrograd soviet order no.1 placed ultimate authority over soldiers in the hands of the soviet.
local gov changes
pre 1861 - mir in control of villages and landowners had a lot of control
after 1861 - nobility had not political role, local constables appointed
1864 zemstva - elected membership, voted in by mixture of people, only in great parts of russia
1870 duma - controlled education, health and transport, the third element pushed for more liberal governing
soviets - came from october manifesto to protect workers
Alexander II judiciary reform
Introduction of a jury;
court hierarchy to
deal with different cases
better pay judges (lessen chances of corruption)
open trials
new department of the Senate set up to try political cases However, proven ineffective A2’s death in 1881
Alexander III judiciary reform
Movement away from ‘liberal’ law & order (‘the reaction’)
Police centralised
special courts introduced for political
cases
Justices of the Peace replaced by Land Captains
Communists judiciary reform
Idea of ‘revolutionary justice’ - 1921 criminal code
legalised use of terror to deter anti-revolutionary crime. (The whole judicial system rested on
this principle)
Why did the Tsars use enforcement?
THE TSARS: used the army to mainly quell rebellion/strikes
ALEXANDER III: used troops to enforce Russification
NICHOLAS II: consistently used troops to control workers’ protests
Why did the communists use enforcement?
BOLSHEVIKS: encouraged the Military Revolutionary Committee to become the vanguard of the October Revolution
MRC merged with Red Guard to form Trotsky’s Red Army - essential to winning the Civil War
STALIN: used the Red Army to requisition grain & administer the purges
Propaganda under the Tsars
NICHOLAS II: used portraits, pamphlets, photographs, and national events to increase his popularity (esp. post 1905)
Propaganda under the communists
introduced slogans, developed Stalin’s Cult
of Personality, published Party newspapers (pravhda), promoted movements (e.g. Stakhanovism) - all to
bolster support
Censorship under the Tsars
ALEXANDER II: censorship relaxed for the first time during the Great Reforms, but then tightened
again after assassination attempts
ALEXANDER III & NICHOLAS II: stricter censorship (reactionary period
