Did the Dumas give the people the representation they wanted?

P.N. Durnovo, Interior Minister, Oct 1905 - April 1906:

He stamped hard on peasant uprisings. In the 6 months of his office harsh use of the army resulted in: C. 15,000 dead; C. 20,000 wounded; 45,000 exiled to Siberia; Whole villages were burnt to the ground. This repression restored order but caused huge resentment.

The First Duma (Duma of Hope), April-July 1906:

Which were the biggest parties? Kadets and Trudoviks (and National Groups).
What does that suggest about the nature of this duma? It suggests that the majority of this duma are in favour of a constituent assembly and parliamentary democracy. There were not many of the nobility.
Early in 1906 the tsarist regime was able to negotiate a substantial loan from France. This lessened the chance of the dumas being able to have a financial hold over the government. The Fundamental Laws, coinciding with the opening of the duma, further limited its influence.The right to veto deprived the duma of any real power. The restrictions made it clear that the tsarist regime had no intention of allowing the concessions it had made in 1905 to diminish the total autocracy.
The kadets are pushing for changes to the constitutional laws (the fundamental laws to give the dumas more power).
“Curse the duma. It is all Witte’s doing.” AFter 2 months of bitter wrangling, the tsar ordered the duma to be dissolved.

The Vyborg Manifesto:

The Manifesto was written by milyukov and signed by 120 Kadet, 80 Trudovik and Social Democrat deputies, along with some others, such as Social Revolutionaries and Muslims.
- They urged the people to take part in civil disobedience, refusing to pay taxes and disobeying conscription orders, for example. In Vyborg, it went too far. Some took to the streets and caused violence. The people did not like this as they did not want to return to revolution.
Piotr Stolypin, Chief Minister:
- Interior Minister, July 19066-11, and Chairman of the Council of Ministers.
- “I am fighting against revolution, but for reform.”
- August 1906: he proclaimed a state of emergency. He introduced a great state of depression.

The Second Duma (The Duma of Anger), February-June 1907:

Despite the failure of the first duma to achieve much worthwhile, the workers and peasants still had hopes for the second duma.
Over 70% of eligible workers in St Petersburg voted. The left had the most votes, the Trudoviks were the largest group with 104 deputies; the Kadets had 91. The right-wing groups also had increased votes, with over 60 deputies (most of which were Russian nationalists in the national groups), and the Octobrists had 42. The Kadets lost half their seats, which were filled by the SDs and SRs who returned over 80 deputies.
Stolypin, who, despite his repression of social disorder, was willing to work with the duma in introducing necessary reforms, found his land programme…

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