The government introduced changes to the electoral law, and since these changes were made without the participation of Duma deputies, in Russian society they were regarded as a coup d'etat. The new electoral law changed the ratio of electors in favor of the landowners and the big bourgeoisie (3% of the top of society elected two-thirds of all deputies), and the representation of the national outskirts was reduced. The total number of deputies decreased from 534 to 442.

Thus, the outcome of the vote in the Third State Duma depended entirely on the Octobrists. Depending on the task at hand, they entered into an alliance with the Black Hundreds and organized a center-right majority; in an alliance with the Cadets, an Octobrist-Cadet majority was formed. The Duma was an obedient instrument in the hands of the government headed by Stolypin. With the support of the right, he blocked all initiatives of the Cadets; the basis of his policy was the slogan: “First calm, then reforms.”

The main issues facing the III State Duma: agrarian, labor, national.

The Stolypin version of the agrarian reform was adopted (based on the decree of January 9, 1906). On the labor issue, a law on state insurance against accidents and illness was adopted; on the national issue, zemstvos were formed in 9 Ukrainian and Belarusian provinces; Finland was deprived of autonomy .

Elections to the IV State Duma took place in the fall of 1912. The number of deputies was 442, and the Octobrist M.V. Rodzianko presided for the entire term. Composition: Black Hundreds - 184, Octobrists - 99, Cadets - 58, Trudoviks - 10, Social Democrats - 14, Progressives - 47, non-party members and others - 5.

The balance of power remained the same as the previous Duma; the Octobrists still performed the functions of the “center,” but the progressives began to have more weight.

However, the Duma of the 4th convocation began to play a smaller role in the life of the country, since the government passed through it only minor laws, reserving the solution of the main legislative tasks.

In the IV Duma, as in the III, two majorities were possible: the right-Octobrist - 283 deputies and the Octobrist-Kadet - 225 deputies (it became predominant in the work of the IV State Duma). Deputies increasingly came up with legislative initiatives and slowed down the passage of state laws. However, the overwhelming majority of draft laws objectionable to the government were blocked by the State Council.

The unsuccessful course of military operations caused sharp criticism of the government from the Duma. The majority of factions demanded the creation of a cabinet of ministers and the transfer of power into its hands. Not only the Duma majority, but also representatives of the State Council united around this idea. In August 1915, a “Progressive Bloc” was created in parliament, consisting of 236 deputies, which included representatives of the Octobrists, Progressives, Cadets, and a representative of the State Council. The Mensheviks and Trudoviks did not support the bloc. Thus, a parliamentary bloc opposed to the government emerged.

On February 27, 1917, having gathered at an extraordinary meeting, a group of deputies organized the Provisional Committee of the State Duma, which on the night of February 28 decided to take power into its own hands and create a government. On March 2, 1917, the Provisional Government was created, which, by its decision of October 6, dissolved the IV Duma.

Opened on April 27, 1906 State Duma- the first meeting of people's representatives in the history of Russia with legislative rights.

The first elections to the State Duma were held in an atmosphere of ongoing revolutionary upsurge and high civic activity of the population. For the first time in Russian history, legal political parties appeared and open political campaigning began. These elections brought a convincing victory to the Cadets - the People's Freedom Party, the most organized and included in its composition the flower of the Russian intelligentsia. Extreme left parties (Bolsheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries) boycotted the elections. Some peasant deputies and radical intellectuals formed a “labor group” in the Duma. Moderate deputies formed the “peaceful renewal” faction, but their number was not much more than 5% of the total composition of the Duma. The right found itself in the minority in the First Duma.
The State Duma opened on April 27, 1906. S.A. Muromtsev, a professor, prominent lawyer, and representative of the Kadet Party, was almost unanimously elected Chairman of the Duma.

The composition of the Duma was determined to be 524 members. The elections were neither universal nor equal. Voting rights were available to Russian male subjects who had reached the age of 25 and met a number of class and property requirements. Students, military personnel and persons on trial or convicted were not allowed to participate in the elections.
Elections were carried out in several stages, according to curiae formed according to the class and property principle: landowners, peasants and city curia. Electors from the curiae formed provincial assemblies, which elected deputies. The largest cities had separate representation. Elections on the outskirts of the empire were carried out in curiae, formed mainly on the religious and national principle with the provision of advantages to the Russian population. The so-called “wandering foreigners” were generally deprived of the right to vote. In addition, the representation of the outskirts was reduced. A separate workers' curia was also formed, which elected 14 Duma deputies. In 1906, there was one elector for every 2 thousand landowners (mostly landowners), 4 thousand city dwellers, 30 thousand peasants and 90 thousand workers.
The State Duma was elected for a five-year term, but even before the expiration of this term it could be dissolved at any time by decree of the emperor. At the same time, the emperor was obliged by law to simultaneously call new elections to the Duma and the date for its convening. Meetings of the Duma could also be interrupted at any time by imperial decree. The duration of the annual sessions of the State Duma and the timing of breaks during the year were determined by the decrees of the emperor.

The main competence of the State Duma was budgetary. The state list of income and expenses, together with the financial estimates of ministries and main departments, was subject to consideration and approval by the Duma, with the exception of: loans for expenses of the Ministry of the Imperial Household and the institutions under its jurisdiction in amounts not exceeding the list of 1905, and changes in these loans due to “ Institution on the Imperial Family"; loans for expenses not provided for in estimates for “emergency needs during the year” (in an amount not exceeding the 1905 list); payments on government debts and other government obligations; income and expenses included in the painting project on the basis of existing laws, regulations, states, schedules and imperial orders given in the manner of supreme administration.

The I and II Dumas were dissolved before their deadline, the sessions of the IV Duma were interrupted by a decree on February 25, 1917. Only the III Duma worked for a full term.

I State Duma(April-July 1906) – lasted 72 days. The Duma is predominantly cadet. The first meeting opened on April 27, 1906. Distribution of seats in the Duma: Octobrists - 16, Cadets 179, Trudoviks 97, non-party 105, representatives of the national outskirts 63, Social Democrats 18. Workers, at the call of the RSDLP and Socialist Revolutionaries, mostly boycotted the elections to the Duma. 57% of the agrarian commission were cadets. They introduced an agrarian bill into the Duma, which dealt with the forced alienation, for a fair remuneration, of that part of the landowners' lands that were cultivated on the basis of a semi-serf labor system or were leased to peasants in bondage. In addition, state, office and monastic lands were alienated. All land will be transferred to the state land fund, from which peasants will be allocated it as private property. As a result of the discussion, the commission recognized the principle of forced alienation of land. In May 1906, the head of government, Goremykin, issued a declaration in which he denied the Duma the right to resolve the agrarian question in a similar way, as well as the expansion of voting rights, a ministry responsible to the Duma, the abolition of the State Council, and political amnesty. The Duma expressed no confidence in the government, but the latter could not resign (since it was responsible to the tsar). A Duma crisis arose in the country. Some ministers spoke in favor of the Cadets joining the government. Miliukov raised the question of a purely Cadet government, a general political amnesty, the abolition of the death penalty, the abolition of the State Council, universal suffrage, and the forced alienation of landowners' lands. Goremykin signed a decree dissolving the Duma. In response, about 200 deputies signed an appeal to the people in Vyborg, where they called on them to passive resistance.

II State Duma(February-June 1907) - opened on February 20, 1907 and operated for 103 days. 65 Social Democrats, 104 Trudoviks, 37 Socialist Revolutionaries entered the Duma. There were 222 people in total. The peasant question remained central. Trudoviks proposed 3 bills, the essence of which was the development of free farming on free land. On June 1, 1907, Stolypin, using a fake, decided to get rid of the strong left wing and accused 55 Social Democrats of conspiring to establish a republic. The Duma created a commission to investigate the circumstances. The commission came to the conclusion that the accusation was a complete forgery. On June 3, 1907, the Tsar signed a manifesto dissolving the Duma and changing the electoral law. The coup d'état of June 3, 1907 meant the end of the revolution.

III State Duma(1907-1912) - 442 deputies.

Activities of the III Duma:

06/3/1907 - change in the electoral law.

The majority in the Duma consisted of the right-wing Octobrist and Octobrist-Cadet bloc. Party composition: Octobrists, Black Hundreds, Cadets, Progressives, Peaceful Renovationists, Social Democrats, Trudoviks, non-party members, Muslim group, deputies from Poland. The Octobrist party had the largest number of deputies (125 people). Over 5 years of work, 2197 bills were approved

Key questions:

1) worker: 4 bills were considered by the commission min. Finnish Kokovtsev (on insurance, on conflict commissions, on reducing the working day, on the elimination of the law punishing participation in strikes). They were adopted in 1912 in a limited form.

2) national question: on zemstvos in the western provinces (the issue of creating electoral curiae on a national basis; the law was adopted regarding 6 of 9 provinces); Finnish question (an attempt by political forces to achieve independence from Russia, a law was passed on equalizing the rights of Russian citizens with Finnish ones, a law on the payment of 20 million marks by Finland in exchange for military service, a law limiting the rights of the Finnish Sejm).

3) agrarian question: associated with the Stolypin reform.

Conclusion: The June Third system is the second step towards transforming the autocracy into a bourgeois monarchy.

Elections: multi-stage (occurred in 4 unequal curiae: landowner, urban, workers, peasants). Half of the population (women, students, military personnel) were deprived of the right to vote.

IV State Duma(1912-1917) - Chairman Rodzianko. The Duma was dissolved by the provisional government with the start of elections to the Constituent Assembly.

In June 1912, the powers of the deputies of the Third Duma expired, and in the fall of that year elections were held to the Fourth State Duma. Despite government pressure, the elections reflected political revival: the social democrats gained points in the Second City Curia at the expense of the Cadets (in the workers' curia the Bolsheviks prevailed over the Mensheviks), the Octobrists were often defeated in their fiefdom, the First City Curia.

The elections to the IV State Duma practically did not change the alignment of factions in the Duma. The chairman was the Octobrist M.V. Rodzianko. The right (Black Hundreds) had 184 votes, the Octobrists (right-centrists) - 99 votes, the left-centrists formed a bloc that included the Cadets (58 votes), nationalists (21 votes) and progressives (47 votes). Since 1913, the majority of the Duma (cadets, progressives, radicals) began to oppose tsarism. Nicholas II repeatedly raised the question of criminal liability of deputies for their critical and revealing speeches from the Duma rostrum.

The world war that began in 1914 simultaneously extinguished the flaring opposition movements in Russian society. At an emergency meeting of the IV Duma on July 26, 1914, the leaders of the right and liberal-bourgeois factions made a call to rally around the “sovereign leader leading Russia into a sacred battle with the enemy of the Slavs,” putting aside “internal disputes” and “scores” with the government. However, failures at the front, the growth of the strike movement, and the inability of the government to ensure governance of the country stimulated the activity of political parties, their opposition, and the search for new tactical steps.

On July 19, the session of the IV State Duma opened, at which the Octobrists and Trudoviks immediately raised the question of creating a government responsible to the Duma, and in early August the Cadet faction began active work to create an inter-party bloc. In August 1915, at a meeting of members of the State Duma and the State Council, the Progressive Bloc was formed, which included Cadets, Octobrists, Progressives, some nationalists (236 and 422 Duma members) and three groups of the State Council. The chairman of the bureau of the Progressive Bloc became the Octobrist S.I. Shidlovsky, and the actual leader N.I. Miliukov.

However, the subsequent accession of Nicholas II to the supreme command meant the end of power fluctuations, the rejection of agreements with the parliamentary majority on the platform of the “Ministry of Trust”, the resignation of Goremykin and the removal of ministers who supported the Progressive Bloc, and finally, the dissolution of the State Duma after its consideration of military bills. On September 3, Duma Chairman Rodzianko received a decree dissolving the Duma until approximately November 1915.

The First World War placed a heavy burden on Russia's shoulders. In February 1917, the situation in Petrograd sharply worsened. The Bolsheviks, Mezhrayontsy, Menshevik Internationalists and other social parties and groups launched revolutionary propaganda, linking food difficulties with the disintegration of the regime and calling for the overthrow of the monarchy.

On February 25, the protests grew into a general political strike, covering 305 thousand people and paralyzing Petrograd. On the night of February 26, the authorities carried out mass arrests, and during the day a large demonstration was shot on Znamenskaya Square. Clashes with troops and police, resulting in casualties, occurred throughout the city.

Chairman of the IV State Duma M.V. On February 26, Rodzianko telegraphed Nicholas II about the need to “immediately entrust a person enjoying the country’s trust to form a new government,” and the next day he headed the Provisional Committee of the State Duma, on whose behalf he addressed an appeal to the population.

The proclamation stated that this new authority was taking into its own hands the restoration of state and public order and calling on the population and the army to help “in the difficult task of creating a new government.” On the same day, February 26, 1917, the emperor issued a decree suspending the sessions of the State Duma and setting “the date for their resumption no later than April 1917, depending on emergency circumstances.” After this, the Duma no longer met in its entirety.

On February 27, a meeting of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma took place, which “found... forced to take into its own hands the restoration of statehood and public order” in Russia. However, already on March 2, the Provisional Committee announced the creation of a new government within its composition and actually ceased to exist.

Legally, the IV State Duma was dissolved by a resolution of the Provisional Government of October 6, 1917 in connection with the start of the election campaign for elections to the Constituent Assembly.

In practice, the State Duma had a brilliant chance to take state power into its own hands and become a real legislative body, but the reactionary majority of the Duma, which supported the autocracy, did not take advantage of it.

The fourth and last of the State Dumas of the Russian Empire operated from November 15, 1912 to February 25, 1917. It was elected according to the same electoral law as the Third State Duma.

Elections to the IV State Duma took place in the autumn (September-October) 1912. They showed that the progressive movement of Russian society was moving towards the establishment of parliamentarism in the country. The election campaign, in which the leaders of bourgeois parties actively participated, took place in an atmosphere of discussion: to be or not to have a constitution in Russia. Even some parliamentary candidates from right-wing political parties were supporters of the constitutional order. During the elections to the Fourth State Duma, the Cadets carried out several “left” demarches, putting forward democratic bills on freedom of unions and the introduction of universal suffrage. Declarations by bourgeois leaders demonstrated opposition to the government.

The government mobilized forces to prevent the aggravation of the internal political situation in connection with the elections, to conduct them as quietly as possible and to maintain or even strengthen its positions in the Duma, and even more so to prevent its shift “to the left.”

In an effort to have its proteges in the State Duma, the government (in September 1911 it was headed by V.N. Kokovtsev after the tragic death of P.A. Stolypin) influenced the elections in certain regions with police repressions, possible frauds such as limiting the number of voters as a result of illegal “ explanations." It turned to the help of the clergy, giving them the opportunity to widely participate in district congresses as representatives of small landowners. All these tricks led to the fact that among the deputies of the IV State Duma there were more than 75% of landowners and representatives of the clergy. In addition to land, more than 33% of deputies had real estate (factories, factories, mines, trading enterprises, houses, etc.). About 15% of the total number of deputies belonged to the intelligentsia. They played an active role in various political parties, many of them constantly participating in the discussions of the general meetings of the Duma.

The sessions of the IV Duma opened on November 15, 1912. Its chairman was the Octobrist Mikhail Rodzianko. The comrades of the Chairman of the Duma were Prince Vladimir Mikhailovich Volkonsky and Prince Dmitry Dmitrievich Urusov. Secretary of the State Duma - Ivan Ivanovich Dmitryukov. The secretary's comrades are Nikolai Nikolaevich Lvov (senior comrade of the Secretary), Nikolai Ivanovich Antonov, Viktor Parfenevich Basakov, Gaisa Khamidullovich Enikeev, Alexander Dmitrievich Zarin, Vasily Pavlovich Shein.

The main factions of the IV State Duma were: rightists and nationalists (157 seats), Octobrists (98), progressives (48), Cadets (59), who still made up two Duma majorities (depending on who they were blocking with at that moment Octobrists: Octobrist-cadet or Octobrist-right). In addition to them, Trudoviks (10) and Social Democrats (14) were represented in the Duma. The Progressive Party took shape in November 1912 and adopted a program that provided for a constitutional-monarchical system with the responsibility of ministers to popular representation, expansion of the rights of the State Duma, etc. The emergence of this party (between the Octobrists and the Cadets) was an attempt to consolidate the liberal movement. The Bolsheviks led by L.B. Rosenfeld took part in the work of the Duma. and the Mensheviks led by N.S. Chkheidze. They introduced 3 bills (on an 8-hour working day, on social insurance, on national equality), which were rejected by the majority.

By nationality, almost 83% of the deputies in the State Duma of the 4th convocation were Russians. Among the deputies there were also representatives of other peoples of Russia.

There were Poles, Germans, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Tatars, Lithuanians, Moldovans, Georgians, Armenians, Jews, Latvians, Estonians, Zyryans, Lezgins, Greeks, Karaites and even Swedes, Dutch, but their share in the total corps of deputies was insignificant. The majority of deputies (almost 69%) were people aged 36 to 55 years. About half of the deputies had higher education, and slightly more than a quarter of the total Duma members had secondary education.

As a result of the elections to the Fourth State Duma in October 1912, the government found itself in even greater isolation, since the Octobrists now firmly stood on a par with the Cadets in the legal opposition.

In an atmosphere of growing tension in society, in March 1914, two inter-party meetings were held with the participation of representatives of the Cadets, Bolsheviks, Mensheviks, Socialist Revolutionaries, left Octobrists, progressives, and non-party intellectuals, at which issues of coordinating the activities of the left and liberal parties were discussed with the aim of preparing extra-Duma speeches. The World War that began in 1914 temporarily extinguished the flaring opposition movement. At first, the majority of parties (excluding the Social Democrats) spoke out for trust in the government. At the suggestion of Nicholas II, in June 1914 the Council of Ministers discussed the issue of transforming the Duma from a legislative body into a consultative one. On July 24, 1914, the Council of Ministers was granted emergency powers, i.e. he received the right to decide most cases on behalf of the emperor.

At an emergency meeting of the Fourth Duma on July 26, 1914, the leaders of the right and liberal-bourgeois factions made a call to rally around the “sovereign leader leading Russia into a sacred battle with the enemy of the Slavs,” putting aside “internal disputes” and “scores” with the government. However, failures at the front, the growth of the strike movement, and the inability of the government to ensure governance of the country stimulated the activity of political parties and their opposition. Against this background, the Fourth Duma entered into an acute conflict with the executive branch.

In August 1915, at a meeting of members of the State Duma and the State Council, the Progressive Bloc was formed, which included Cadets, Octobrists, Progressives, some nationalists (236 out of 422 members of the Duma) and three groups of the State Council. The chairman of the bureau of the Progressive Bloc became the Octobrist S.I. Shidlovsky, and the actual leader was P.N. Milyukov. The bloc's declaration, published in the newspaper Rech on August 26, 1915, was of a compromise nature and provided for the creation of a government of “public trust.” The bloc's program included demands for a partial amnesty, an end to persecution for religion, autonomy for Poland, the abolition of restrictions on the rights of Jews, and the restoration of trade unions and the workers' press. The bloc was supported by some members of the State Council and the Synod. The bloc's irreconcilable position in relation to state power and its harsh criticism led to the political crisis of 1916, which became one of the causes of the February Revolution.

On September 3, 1915, after the Duma accepted the war loans allocated by the government, it was dissolved for vacation. The Duma met again only in February 1916. On December 16, 1916 it was dissolved again. Resumed activity on February 14, 1917 on the eve of the February abdication of Nicholas II. On February 25, 1917, it was dissolved again and no longer officially met, but formally and actually existed. The Fourth Duma played a leading role in the establishment of the Provisional Government, under which it actually worked in the form of “private meetings.” On October 6, 1917, the Provisional Government decided to dissolve the Duma in connection with preparations for the elections to the Constituent Assembly.

On December 18, 1917, one of the decrees of Lenin’s Council of People’s Commissars also abolished the office of the State Duma itself.

Last Duma of the Russian Empire

The work of deputies took place against the backdrop of world war and revolution.

The Fourth Duma worked from November 15, 1912 to February 25, 1917. But it was officially dissolved only on October 6, 1917, a few days before the October Revolution. The Chairman of the State Duma for the entire term was the leader of the Octobrist Party, Mikhail Rodzianko.

Unpredictable Parliament

Elections to the Duma took place in the fall of 1912. A total of 442 deputies were elected. As last time, the Octobrists received the most votes (98 seats). But their superiority over the others was no longer so overwhelming. In general, the Fourth Duma had clearly defined flanks (left and right) with a moderate center. This made it less predictable than the Third Duma.

The Octobrists increasingly began to unite with the Cadets, gaining a Duma majority. But their legislative initiatives were blocked by the State Council. In turn, the Duma slowed down projects of large-scale laws of the tsarist government. As a result, the government limited itself to minor bills. During the first and second sessions (1912-1914), over 2 thousand small bills were introduced.

They wanted to form a cabinet

With the outbreak of the First World War, State Duma meetings began to be held irregularly. Legislation was carried out by the government outside the Duma.

The defeat of Russian troops in the spring and summer of 1915, the crisis of state power caused an increase in opposition sentiments among deputies. In July 1915, the majority of factions in the Duma criticized the government and demanded the creation of a new cabinet of ministers that would enjoy the “confidence of the country.” On August 22, the Progressive Bloc was organized, which included 236 deputies (Octobrists, Progressives, Cadets). The new bloc demanded the right to form the government itself.

Limitation of power for Emperor Nicholas II was unacceptable. On September 3, 1915, the State Duma was dissolved for vacation.

Expressed no confidence in the prime ministers

On November 1, 1916, the fifth session of the Fourth Duma started. The progressive bloc demanded the resignation of government chairman Boris Stürmer, who was accused of Germanophilism. Deputies also expressed no confidence in his replacement, Alexander Trepov. As a result, on December 16, 1916, the Duma was dissolved again.

On February 14, 1917, meetings resumed. Wanting to demonstrate the strength and unity of the Duma, deputies organized demonstrations to the Tauride Palace. The rallies destabilized the situation in Petrograd. By the Tsar's decree of February 25, 1917, the meetings of the Fourth Duma were completely interrupted. Deputies switched to the format of “private meetings”. On October 6, the Duma was officially dissolved.

And soon the Bolshevik revolution broke out. And the institution of the State Duma disappeared for many years...

Deputies slowed down drafts of large-scale government laws.