3) to what extent was Russia a democracy by 1914?

how did government reimpose control after 1905 revolution: counter revolution

• trepov ordered troops to open fire forcing striking workers back to factory

• jews suffered pogroms while gangs sent round to flog peasants

• 3rd december: St Petersburg soviet leaders arrested and exiled to Siberia

• street warefare in Moscow and troops had to be dispatched to restore order

how did tsar restore order after 1905: Dumas and fundamental orders

• every man over 25 could vote but only those with more than 400 acre could vote directly

• vote was weighted at 31% land owners, 42% peasants, 27% town dwellers

• fundamental laws took away dumas power and ensured tsar still had control

fundamental laws meant tsar could:

• veto legislation

• ruleby decree when duma not in session

• appoint and dismiss government ministers

• dissolve duma when he wished

• command russians land and sea forces

• declare war, conclude peace agreements, control all foreign relations

• control military

• control orthodox church

How important was the October manifesto?

• did not end the violence

• St Petersburg soviet called for another stike in early november, it was ignored by members and government took action and arrested its members

• a large scale insurrection in Moscow, which was crushed by army, resulting in over 1000 deaths

• new minster of interior, peter durnovo:military expedition were dispatched to different areas and striking workers were shot

• 11th december: electorol law: every single gentry vote worth 2 merchant votes, 15 peasant votes and 45 worker votes

electorol law

• single gentry vote worth 2 merchant votes, 15 peasant votes and 45 worker votes

how far were the hopes of a constitutional monarchy a “senseless dream”?

• 1906 & 1907: more political terror but mmass protest and mass violence declined

• durnovo (minister of interior) crushed protests through campaign of repression, arrests and executions

• durnovo placed 2/3 of russia under martial law and fought the press

• 1906: tsar issued laws upgrading state council to status of a 198 member upper chamber with power of veto/ members appointed by tsar and nobles and holy synod

• government granted rights of assembly and union, which legalised political parties and trade unions

• april 1906: witte resigned- replaced by goremykin and stolypin replaced stolypin

• fundamental laws gave tsar power to dissolve duma when he wanted

• tsar retained control of empire, foreign policy, commanded armed forces

• duma has right of free speech, parliamentary immunity and right to question miniters

social democratic workers party (bolsheviks and mensheviks)

• commited to marxism

• bolsheviks: led by lenin, believed in discipline, centralisation, organisation. favoured a peasant/ proletariot alliance

• mensheviks: martov. believed in bourgeoise/liberals rather than peasantry and use of legal channels of opposition

socialist revolutionaries

• led by chernov

• populist ideas

• left of party favoured terrorism to achieve aims

trudoviks ( labour group)

• moderate liberal views

• no formal programme

• favoured nationalisation of non-peasant land, democratic representation, minimum wage and 8 hour working day

• supported by peasants and intelligentsia

kadets ( constitutional democrats)

• led by milyukov

• central liberal party which favoured constitutional monarchy with parliamentary government

octoborists ( union of october)

• led by guchkov

• moderate conservative party that acceoted october manifesto

• supported by wealthy landowners and industriailists

progressives

• loose grouping of businessmen who favoured moderate reform

rightists- including union of the russian people

• led by purishkevtich

• extremely right wing

• promoted violenve through gangs “black hundreds”

nationalist and reilgious grouping

• ukraininiams, polish, geogians, muslims- seeking rights and greater independence

1st Duma (Duma of national hopes) 1906

• 26 parties and 16 national groups

• 200 peasants elected who voted with kadets or trudovikls

• kadets had 180 seats out of 524 deputies

• first task given by tsar to discuss was provision of toilet facilities in universties

• SR’S and bolsheviks boycotted the first duma

• kadets argued that the powers of duma be increased

• kadets argued powers of duma should be increased and electipn should be secret and universal

• gurantees of free speech and assembly

• thsar dissolved the duma which he now considered unworkable

1st duma seats

• 26 parties and 16 national groups

• kadets had 180 seats out of 524 deputies

• 200 peasants elected who voted with kadets or trudovikls

the vyborg manifesto

• 200 kadet and trudovik deputies including prince lvov and milyukov went to Vyborg in Finland and created the vyborg manifesto- set of demands to increase the power of the duma

• met largely by indifference

• had mant arrested and barred from future elections

2nd duma ( duma of national anger) 1907

• most radical

• tsar dissolved 2nd duma- using excuse that his forces had uncovered a plot by the SD’S to assasinate him

• PM stolypin reformed voting system to ensure fewer numbers of representatives for the peasant and worker classes

2nd duma (1907)

70% of workers in St petersburg voted and the left gained over 200 deputies

stolypins coup 1907

• peasant and working classes did not have to vote any longer

• used article 87 of the fundamental laws which allowed him to pass laws whilst the duma were not sitting by decree

3rd Duma (duma of lord and lackeys 1907-1912

• stolypin was able to work with the octobrists

• stolypin passed a number of dramatic agrarian reforms

• 1911: relationship between Duma and government was breaking down

• achieved substantial reform

• 1911: stolypin angered the octobrists by convinving tsar to suspoend both houses of the duma

3rd dumas achievements:

• stolypins land reforms passed despite wide opposition on the right

• education law 1908: laid foundations for universal education especially primary education from 8-11 year olds

• improvements of the army and navy

• restoration of JP’s (justice of the peace) replacing hated land captains

• a progressive national health insurance scheme which would pay sickness benefits to workers

4th Duma 1912-1917

• continued to meet intermittenly during the war

• support and money for the law of 1908 universal education- noticible improvement in literacy rates

• reform of the orthodox church and reduction of state control

• discussion on hor to reduce vast consumption of vodka to ease burden on public health-no action taken due to vast tax revenue on vodka

• critical governments handling of unrest especially lena goldfields massacre of 1911 where over 200 striking workers were massacred and many more injured by government

• nicholas dismissed 4th duma but was persuaded to recall it in 1915

• nicholas could not agree and dissolved them until 1916

dumas not effective/ fair because gentry vote worth more

• one gentry vote was equal to 3.5 townspeoply votes, 15 peasant votes and 45 worker votes

• half its members appointed by tsar

Dumas innefective- not loyal to tsar

• peasant deputies were radical

dumas innefective- were given unimportant topics

• first issue the tsar gave the duma to discuss was the provision of toilet facilities in a provisional university

• goremykin prime minister replied to the deputies protests by saying the government was not prepared to listen to the duma

not effective- dissolved after 3 months

july 1906: tsar appointed stolypin as prime minster

1907: duma radical and dissolved after 3 months by tsar

dumas not effective- favoured the noblity over people

• june 1907: after dissolving the 2nd duma, nicholas and stolypin passed a new electarol law, which vastly reduced electorol weight of lower class and non-russian voters and increased weight of nobility

• june coup

dumas were effective: more support for health, agriculture and education

• achievements in agriculture, national insurance for industrial workers

• established ovewr 50,000 primary schools

ineffective-nicholas able to veto laws/ tsar controlled military

• 3rd and 4th dumas still had disputes with tsar

• nicholas rejected it, believeing that the duma should not be able to influence militiary policy

• tsar vetod bill concerning religious toleration of jews

ineffective-tsar dismissive of duma

• stolypins successors had no interest in working with duma