Theme 1.1 nature of government

• Aspects of continuity through period?

  -authoritarian

  -personal rule

  -used secret police

  -dominated minorities

  -democratic institutes were window dressing
• Aspects of change through the period?


  -provisional government

  -autocracy vs dictatorship

  -khruschev moving away from cult of personality
• Autocracy


  absolute hereditary power in the hands of one person - given by the divine right
• Paternalism

  Tsar acts as a moral judge on behalf of the people
• Tsar's argument for autocracy


  Russia was too large and diverse for democracy - it would destabilise Russia.
• 1906 Fundamental Laws


  -reaffirmed autocracy after allowing a Duma

  -power to shut down duma at any time
• Aboliiton of serfdom as change


  Removed construct for social control, but landowners were compensated and AII made it clear this was his choice to reform from above
• Russification


  the process of forcing Russian culture on all ethnic groups in the Russian empire - started by AII after Polish Revolt, cornerstone policy of AIII and NII
• Differences between AIII and AII autocracy?

  AIII was more repressive to opposition and reactionary, he reversed changes and made a consituent gov impossible
• Introduction of Duma


  1906 - had limited power, was in reaction to Bloody Sunday
• Dictatorship


  1 person with absolute power without restrictions, uses government to control people.
• How was Bolshevik rule justified?

  Taking power for the proletariat/soviets

  Laws of Marxism
• Marxism-Leninism

  Taking shortcuts to utopia and taking power on behalf of the workers, rather than letting revolution take natural course.
• Concessions Lenin made

  -NEP

  -Civil War
• How many opposition did Red Terror kill in 1918?

  20,000
• Similarities between Lenin and Tsars?

  -adjusting policies to appease opposition (NEP & Duma)

  -no intention of not having absolute rule (shutting down const. assembly)
• Key features/changes in Stalin's Rule


  -TOTALITARIANISM- Cult of Personality-5 year plans-command economy
• Command economy


  economy that is completely controlled by the state
• Five-Year Plans

  Setting production targets in economy on a 5 year cycle
• Cult of Personality

  Building a positive image of the leader for total obedience
• Totalinarianism

  one person has total control and all opposition is suppressed
• Argument that Stalin was carrying on Lenin's shift?

  Cheka already established

  Seemed like logical steo forward
• Short period of collective rule after Stalin's death.

  Khruschev shared power with others but this didn't reflect wishes of people and wasn't easy.

  Rivals eventually removed.
• Anti-party group


  Opposition to Khruschev

  Removed from Presidium
• Destalinisation

  Move away from Stalin's cult of personality and totalinarianism

  -relaxation of censorship, secret speech etc.
• How was Khruschev similar to other rulers? (showing no change)

  No move away from 1 party state

  Used tanks to put down unrest in Berlin and Hungary

  Political police remained

  dismissed opposition at will
• Introduction of zemstva

  1864

  -electors selected by land value

  -only in 'Great Russia
• Council of Ministers


  created in 1861 - to act as a direct link to AII

  executive body of government

  could override Duma when introduced
• Introduction of city dumas

  1870 - growth of new middle class, got used to having local administration over schools and roads etc.
• Treatment of jewish people under AIII and NII


  Outbreaks of pogroms e.g. Kishinev 1903 where 47 died.
• October Manifesto (1905)


  Aftermath of Bloody Sunday, promised a constitution with civil rights and Duma
• Voting for the Duma

  complex and based on electoral colleges

  weighted towards the rich property owners

  ELected by males over 25
• 1907 duma voting system overhaul


  more compliant duma

  reduced revolutionary party members (SDs and SRs)
• Stolypin's necktie


  clampdown on opposition by speeding up trials for civilian rioters by intorducing field court-martials
• First Duma

  April-July 1906


  Denied land reform

  Debate over Polish question

  Disbanded by tsar, who claimed it was illegal
• Second Duma

  Feb-June 1907


  More SDs and SRs

  Stolypin distrusted them over land reform

  SD member framed for attempting a mutiny

  Tsar disbanded & overhauled electorate system
• Third Duma

  Nov 1907- June 1912


  Loyal to crown

  Less nationalists/non-russians

  strenghtened army & navy amid tensions in Europe

  Abolished land captains
• Fourth Duma

  Nov 1912- Feb 1917


  dominated by right

  little meaningful oppisition

  refused to disband

  convinced tsar to abdicate
• Progressive Bloc 1915

  cross-party group who demanded a national government for the war effort

  NII responded by taking personal charge of the army
• Problems in Russia by 1917

  Real wages had fallen

  Food prices rocketed

  Fuel supplies diminished

  Tsarina-rasputin issue