The Duma Experiment

Question 1

Into what two groups did the Union of Liberation split after disagreements about the manifesto?

Answer 1

Kadets and Octobrists

Question 2

What were the initial positive responses to the manifesto?

Answer 2

There were celebrations on the streets of St Petersburg, newspapers flourished, people gave speeches in the streets. The General strike also came to an end. Witte was named the Chairman of the council of ministers

Question 3

What were the initial negative responses to the manifesto?

Answer 3

• Right wing supports felt as if the Tsar had given too much away e.g. the Black Hundreds
• The Soviet continued to run counter to the government e.g. December Uprising
• Trotsky called for a new strike and run on the banks (was unsuccessful however)

Question 4

What were the four bodies of the new government?

Answer 4

Tsar
Cabinet
State Council 
State Duma 
(in decreasing order of power)

Question 5

What limited the representation of non-Tsarist views in the state council?

Answer 5

Half of the state council was appointed by the Tsar and the other half was elected by specific institutions such as the Church, United Nobility and Zemstvo

Question 6

What proportion of state council were members of the United Nobility?

Answer 6

1/3

Question 7

What was the nickname for the state council?

Answer 7

The “graveyard of Duma hopes”

Question 8

Why did Witte’s new cabinet consist largely of bureaucrats?

Answer 8

Witte had tried to get more critics e.g. Kadets in the cabinet but they demanded more power in the Duma from him if they were to be a part of the cabinet. This wasn’t accepted by the Tsar or Witte and hence the cabinet consisted of loyal bureaucrats.

Question 9

What did the Tsar issue in April 1906 before the first Duma met?

Answer 9

The fundamental laws

Question 10

How long did the First Duma last? When?

Answer 10

72 days - April to July 1906

Question 11

How did the government manipulate the situation beforehand to weaken voice of discontented classes?

Answer 11

The electoral system was purposefully made complex so that 1 gentry vote equated that of 3.5 townspeople or 15 peasants or 45 workers

Question 12

Who was the biggest party in the First Duma? How many seats?

Answer 12

Kadets with 179 seats

Question 13

Who was the Prime Minister who denied demands for land reform or a new constitution?

Answer 13

Goremykin

Question 14

What was the name of the event involving 200 Kadets and Trudoviks going to Finland to appeal to people to resist government by not paying taxes?

Answer 14

Vyborg Manifesto

Question 15

What was the impact of the Vyborg Manifesto on the Kadet’s strength in the Duma?

Answer 15

It meant many Kadets were arrested and barred from future elections. Consequently, new Kadet representatives were brough in who were less radical.

Question 16

How long did the Second Duma last? When?

Answer 16

103 days - February to June 1907

Question 17

How did the government interefere with the elections to the second duma?

Answer 17

They interefered with the election campaigns of more radical parties e.g. the Kadets had two of their most radical leaders assassinated

Question 18

Who was the largest party in the Second Duma? How many seats?

Answer 18

Trudoviks

104 seats

Question 19

Why was the Second Duma dissolved by Ukase?

Answer 19

Stolypin accused SDs of an armed uprising plot and demanded the exclusion of 55 SD deputies which was rejected. Generally, the Duma disagreed with Stolypin’s land confiscation and Brutal approach to law and order. This opposition could not be tolerated.

Question 20

How many seats had the Kadets lost between the first and second Duma?

Answer 20

half of them

Question 21

How long did the Third Duma Last?

Answer 21

From November 1907 to June 1912

Question 22

What were the enfranchisement reforms before the deputies were elected? What was this known as?

Answer 22

There was an increased number of deputies elected by the gentry and landowners while the number of deputies from non-Russian regions reduced. Electorate was also reduced to 3 million people, disenfranchising many peasants and workers
This was the Coup of 1907.

Question 23

What was the largest party in the Third Duma? How many seats?

Answer 23

Octobrist party with 154 seats

Question 24

How many pieces of legislation did the third Duma make? How many bills were voted on?

Answer 24

200 pieces of legislation made

2500 bills were voted on

Question 25

How long did the Fourth Duma last (albeit with being dissolved on several occasions)?

Answer 25

November 1912 until February 1917

Question 26

What proportion of those elected to the Third Duma were nobles?

Answer 26

51%

Question 27

Who was the largest party in the Fourth Duma?

Answer 27

The nationalists with 120 seats

Question 28

Who commissioned an investigation into Rasputin in March 1913 from the Fourth Duma?

Answer 28

Guchkov

Question 29

What particular event displeased the Fourth Duma?

Answer 29

The handling of WWI and the cover-up of information about defeats e.g. at Garlice by the government

Question 30

How many seats did the progressive bloc have (formed August 1915)?

Answer 30

236/442