How successful were the Dumas?

• Due to the Third and Fourth Dumas being not so radical the government was more inclined to listen to them. The Third Duma served its full term and the Fourth Duma lasted right up until the outbreak of the First World War
• During this time the Duma managed to enact reforms like Land Captains  being replaced by justices of the peace
• A plan to have universal primary education within ten years. Health and accident insurance programmes were introduced for industrial workers. Improvements were made to the army and navy
• It was only a mixture of revolutionary pressure in 1905 and pressure from France (who provided Russia with large loans) that led to the creation of the Duma in the first place
• Yet by 1914 political parties had been established legally and the Duma offered a major forum for political debate
• Although the Dumas did not always succeed in influencing the Tsar or pushing through reforms Duma debates were reported in the press
• In this way the reformers and radicals in the Duma had the opportunity to influence public opinion legitimately – something they couldn’t do previously as radical newspapers were often banned or censored.