The Dumas Flashcards
(10 cards)
What did the October Manifesto do?
It granted the Russian people a National Assembly/ parliament called the Duma with representatives called deputies who would be democratically elected
What did the Fundamental laws establish?
They limited the powers of the Duma and established that it could not legislate, only approve those initiated by the government. Likewise, the Tsar retained the power to veto the Duma’s decisions and to dissolve it
Who contested Duma elections?
Various political parties put forward candidates. The number of deputies ranged from 434 to 525
Who were the deputies?
They came from various different social classes, including landowners, the industrial middle classes, merchants, intellectuals and some peasants
Describe The First Duma
It was formed in 1906 and was dominated by the Constitutional Democratic Party who held 184 seats. It focused on the land issue and made demands for greater political reform. It was later called the ‘Duma of People’s Anger’. It was dissolved by Nicholas after only 72 days
Describe the second Duma
It was formed in 1907 and was even more radical than the first Duma as more socialist deputies had been elected. Again, Nicholas dissolved the Duma after just a few months, saying it was too confrontational and uncooperative
Describe the third Duma
It was formed in 1907 but was elected using a different system so it heavily favoured the landowning gentry. Unsurprisingly, these groups, along with businessmen, dominated the Duma. They were therefore able to pass significant reforms to the military and education
Describe the fourth Duma
It was formed in 1912 but was more conservative than the third. It voted in favour of war credits and was important in the early stages of WW1
What were the effects of the Duma?
It contributed to some legislative reform and provided a platform for political debate. It was a step towards constitutional democracy in Russia
Why were the Duma largely ineffective?
They failed to bring about significant political change and were viewed with suspicion by left wing parties as corrupt and bourgeoise institutions. Nicholas’ ability to ignore the Duma or dissolve it was a major limitation
