The Dumas and Stolypin

Paper 1 : Autocracy and Revolt in Russia : 1881 - 1914

The Dumas and Stolypin

Attitude of Tsar II towards the first four Dumas

• Only to be elected from the nobility.
• The first duma met in 1906, but was closed after 72 days.
• The first two Dumas were openly critical to the Tsar which lead to the Tsar dismissing them.
• Nicholas II retained the title of autocrat and continued to appoint and dismiss ministers as he pleased.
• Laws continued to be promulgated by the government without reference to the Duma as Stolypin and Nicholas II changed the electoral system without the Duma in session.
• This defied the purpose of the October Manifesto as the democracy promised to the people was not fulfilled.
• Oppression continued in the power of the Tsar's secret police, Okhrana.
• Again this renders the October Manifesto ineffective.
• This was because Nicholas II only promised to the October Manifesto as a desparate measure and a sign of weakness.

Stolypin's policy of repression and land reform

• Stolypin established military tribunals as a policy of repression
• He proposed public execution of thousands to suppress ongoing revolutionary activity.
• He convicted 16,500 people of political crimes and 3,500 of them to a death sentence.
• As a result, political assassinations dropped to 365 in 1908 compared to 1,200 in 1907.
• When the first 2 Dumas refused to pass the Tsar's legislation, he advised the Tsar to dissolve them.
• In 1907, he changed the franchise to prevent the poor from voting for the third and fourth dumas.
• Suspended voting in areas where the population had not reach civic development lead to fewer representatives from the lower classes, ie. peasants, urban wokers. 
• This created Dumas who were more obedient towards the Tsar.
• With the peasants excluded from voting, thus eliminates 78% of the population as the peasants formed the majority.
• …