Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
The Nature of Government - Coggle Diagram
The Nature of Government
Ideology and style
Alexander ll:
- Tsar had absolute power ordained by God (religious aspect to the Tsar's power, not through elections). All Russians had to obey the will of the Tsar or suffer punishment. Acted as 'moral judge' on behalf of God and a paternalistic duty to protect his subjects and control their behaviour - backed by Russian Orthodox Church. Autocracy needed, believed by Pobedonostsev, as a liberal democracy + constitutional gov. disastrous for Russia.
- Tsar liberator - introduced series of reforms in order to modernise Russia (not for freedom) eg Emancipation Edict took over 20 years
Alexander lll:
- Ultimate power and control rested in the hands of the Tsars. Autocracy as he maintained + strengthened the autocratic ideas of his father. He blamed his father's assassination on a move towards a more liberal society through his multiple reforms. Democracy to be avoided at all costs, pushed by his tutor Pobedonostsev.
- Reaction - attempt to put a block on the reforms of his father - couldn't reverse them but he put limits on existing reforms + introduced harsh + repressive measures on opponents of the regime (execution of the members of the People's Will)
Nicholas ll:
- Same as the previous Tsar, he maintained Autocracy but granted reforms (eg October Manifesto) like Alexander ll - but never left the basic principles of autocracy for example when he introduced the Fundemental Laws 1906 in order to limit the national Duma and stay in absolute control
- Concessions - was faced with the crisis caused by the Russo - Japanese War (1904-5), Nicholas ll had to give in to the pressure + create a national Duma - limitations through the Fundamental Laws which allowed him to stay in power + control the Duma - Nicholas only made modifications in order to keep opponents at bay + sought to uphold the principle of autocracy
Provisional Gov.:
- Democracy - made up of former duma members who were mostly conservative. A democratically elected Constituent Assembly was being planned. Had Eight principles eg end to death penalty and same rights for soldiers as other citizens.
- Dual authority - The Petrograd Soviet (a coalition of radical leftist groups) formed had control over much of Russian military+ shared power with Prov. Gov., this lead to their demise.
Lenin:
- Communism/Dictatorship of the Proletariat - Bolsheviks, in theory, were a vanguard working on behalf of the proletariat. SOVNARKOM (the Council of People's Commissars) was the new government which Lenin had most power in. Other socialist parties excluded from power + any dissent or factionalism within the Bolshevik( Marxist-Leninists) Party was suppressed. Marxist-Leninism, Lenin's interpretation of the dictatorship of the proletariat - workers could control political power
- Terror alongside opportunism. The Red Terror, up to 50,00 shot in 1918 carried out by the Cheka. Control increased during Civil War. Constituent Assembly was closed after one day. Harsh methods used eg War Communism
Stalin:
- Stalinism. A continuation of the Marxist-Leninist principles. Stalin used many of the apparatus of power established under Lenin to create a totalitarian dictatorship that rivals or even surpasses Hitler. known as 'The Red Tsar.'
- The ends justify the means - eliminates opponents eg Trotsky exiled in 1929. He used terror to crush any potential dissent or opposition. In 1937, the Central Committee ordered purges, army purge - 2/3rds of senior officers killed. People put in Gulags. By 1939 only 16/71 of the 1934 Central committee were alive. Used slave labour + forced collectivisation to push through policies on agriculture + industry
Krushchev:
- Scientific Socialism/destalinisation - attempted to distance himself from the 'excess' of Stalin's rule. Attempted a scientific approach to communism which borrowed the best of what was happening in the West with the avowed aim of overtaking it.
- Destalinisation - An end to purges + greater tolerance to those who wanted to express an opposing point of view. Began with the 'secret' speech of 1956 which criticised Stalin as never having been chosen by Lenin - leaving the USSR unprepared for the Great Patriotic war - and the 'moral and physical annihilation' of his opponents at home and abroad. Led to the 'Anti Party Group' (Molotov, Kagonovish and Malenkov) unsuccessfully attempting to remove Krushchev. 1935, 5.5 million in camps fell to 11,000 by 1959. October 1964, was removed from power by Presidium members.
Structure
Alexander ll:
- Central/national gov. format + institutions remain the same between 1855-1905. Alex. ll had complete control of all policy. Advice taken from the
Imperial Council of State on legal and financial matters. the senate acted as Supreme court until 1905. Before 1861 - Personal chancery. After 1861 - Council of Ministers, appointed by the Tsar, discussed laws with him, given immediate royal assent or passed to the Committee of ministers (13 ministers in total) - advisory + administrative body w/ no decision making powers. Eg: Minister of the Interior, Minister of war + Minister of Finance.
Alexander lll:
- Continued to have complete control over all policy - he took advice from the Imperial council of State on legal and financial matters and The Senate (Supreme court) still existed. He abolished the Council of Ministers in 1882 and shared its responsibility with other institutes eg Committee of Ministers which remained a purely advisory and administrative body w/ no decision making powers
Nicholas ll: Same as Alex lll until 1905 revolution when the October Manifesto was written - turning point in the nature of Russian Government
- The Duma became the first nationally elected representative body - BUT the Duma could be disbanded (happened in 1906,1907 + 1917) + ignore it through the Fundamental laws of 1906
- The State Council were apponinted by the Tsar or representatives of towns, churches + nobles - acted as a limit on the power of the Duma
- The Council of Ministers (all appointed by the Tsar) became the main law making body chaired by a PM. Duma + State Council had matters to debate which the Tsar would then decide whether the Council of Ministers should make it a law
Provisional Gov: Not in a position to act and shared its power with the Petrograd Soviet. Promise of Constituent Assembly elections were continually delayed + did not address demands of peasants for land + didn't end the war.
Lenin:
- Democratic Centralism - used to justify Bolshevik control + became highly centralised that 'the party became the Government'
- General secretary/President the followed by the Government + the separate Bolshevik Party.
- Gov. - SOVNARKOM, then the Russian Congress of Soviets, Provincial Soviet, District Soviet + Village Soviet
- Bolshevik Party - Orgburo - organised party affairs, Ogburo - dealt with opposition + the Politburo - elite Bolsheviks who formulated policy. The central committee was chosen by Congress, then the Party Congress, Regional Party + Local Party.
Stalin:
- Similar structure to Lenin - wide range of freedoms (eg free press, speech, assembly, religion, voting etc) which was all promised in Stalin Constitution of 1936 - but in reality was a totalitarian gov.
- The SOVNARKOM was changed to the Council of Ministers (Sovmin) in 1948
- The Supreme Soviet itself was headed by the Presidium which Stalin was the leader of - in theory they would make laws for the whole of the USSR + met twice a year
- Constitution created the Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities under the Supreme Soviet - designed to give better representation to the republics
- Within the party system the Politburo (Elite Bolsheviks) were also outranked by the Presidium
- The Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party 1934 had only 16 out of 71 members still alive by 1939 + did not meet at all between 1947 and 1952 - all power in the hands of Stalin
- GOSPLAN created to oversee economic targets + Cominform + COMECON were coordinated internationally
Krushchev:
- Largely the same structure as under later Stalinist period - destalinisation did not alter the structure of gov. just the way the tools were used
- Krushchev, unlike Stalin, was always answerable to the Presidium - caused a power struggle between Malenkov + Beria
- The power of the Politburo was raised + more economic planning powers were given to regional Soviets
- Collective leadership, in theory, as men of the stalin era were replaced with his own supporters
- The Supreme Soviet met twice per year
-
-
Propaganda
Tsars: Propaganda rarely used apart from portraits + the 'Little Father' idea spread by the Church. After 1905, 300 year Romanov parade in St Petersburg (1913).
Communists: Used a wide variety of media; films, art + music promoting Socialist realism. The Stakhanovite movement also encouraged hard work for Stalin's goals.
-
-