The Era of the Dumas Flashcards
What did the Petersburg Soviet threaten in October 1905?
A General Strike, wherein Witte warned that the country was on the verge of a revolution that would sweep away ‘a thousand years of history’ and Grand Duke Nikolai threatened to shoot himself if reform was not instated.
What were the conditions of the October Manifesto?
To grant civic freedom
To establish a state Duma allowing a voice to all classes of the population
To give the state Duma power to approve laws.
What was the Lower Chamber?
The State Duma - members elected under a system of indirect voting by estates - heavily weighted in favour of the nobility and the peasants.
Deputies were elected for a 5 year term
What was the Upper Chamber?
The State Council - half elected by zemstva, half appointed by the Tsar. They were noble representatives from the major social, religious, educational and financial institutions.
What was the power balance between the chambers?
They had equal legislative power and all legislation had to receive the approval of the Tsar. Any one of the bodies could veto legislation.
What was the Council of Ministers under the Prime Minister
The Government was to be appointed exclusively by the Tsar. The government was responsible to the Crown, not the Duma.
What was the purpose of the Fundamental Laws?
To reassert his autocratic power and ‘It is ordained by God himself that the Tsar’s authority should be submitted to’.
What rights did the Tsar claim in the Fundamental Laws?
- To veto legislation
- To rule by decree in emergency
- To appoint and dismiss gov ministers
- To dissolve the Duma as he wished
- To control the military and war.
What rights did the Tsar claim in the Fundamental Laws?
- To veto legislation
- To rule by decree in emergency
- To appoint and dismiss gov ministers
- To dissolve the Duma as he wished
- To control the military and war.
- To control the Orthodox CHurch
What was the SDWP?
The Social Democratic Workers Party.
Split into Bolsheviks: Led by Lenin, believing in centralisation, organisation and a peasant/proletariat alliance.
And Mensheviks: Believed in cooperation with bourgeoise/liberals rather than the peasantry and legal channels of opposition.
What were the Socialist Revolutionaries?
Led by Chernov. Favoured populist ideas of land redistribution and nationalisation. Left of party favoured terrorism.
What were the Trudoviks?
A non-revolutionary breakaway from SR of moderate liberal views. Favoured nationalisation, democratic representation, minimum wage and 8 hour work day. Supported by peasants and intelligentsia
What were the Kadets?
Led by Milyukov. A central liberal party which favoured a constitutional monarchy with parliamentary government, full civil rights, redistribution of private estates and legal settlement of workers disputes.
What were the Octobrists?
Led by Guchkov. A moderate conservative party that accepted the October Manifesto and opposed further concessions to workers or peasants. Supported by wealthy landowners and industrialists.
What were the Progressives?
A loose group of businessmen who favoured moderate reform.
