Tradition of power organization in the Russian empire

Elena Meleshkina elenameleshkina@yandex.ru

Two ideal types of power organization

Traditional empire; Modern territorial nation-state.
Distinguishing characteristics: - Nature of boundaries (territorial, economical, cultural, political etc.); multiculturalism vs. cultural unification; - Characteristics of system of government (indirect or direct rule); - Role of formal and informal institutions; - Basic goals; - Role in international system.

Basic characteristics of empire and modern territorial

state
Features Modern state Traditional empire

Boundaries

Relatively high level of definiteness and consolidation of boundaries (territorial, economic, political, cultural etc.), cultural and linguistic unification Direct government, universal and standardized structure of government

Open system striving for territorial expansion, existence of limitroph, unconsolidated boundaries, multiculturalism Indirect, based on mutual practices of exchange (economic benefits, privileges etc. in exchange for loyalty), low level of standardization and unification of norms and practices High role of informal institutes and interpersonal relations Civilization mission, orientation toward external goals Action within boundaries recognized by its own constituent entities

System of government

Role of formal and informal institutes Basic goals Role in international system

Predominance of formal norms and practices Organization of internal space Action within boundaries recognized by international community according to the principle of territorial sovereignty

The Russian empire as a traditional empire

various administrative units; different legal norms in different units; different legal norms for different groups of people; multilinguistic and multicultural nature; Open system striving for territorial expanstion.

Phases of territorial expansion

The territory of the empire

The Russian Empire included territories of the Ukraine (Dnieper Ukraine and Crimea), Belarus, Moldova (Bessarabia), Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (including Mengrelia), the Central Asian states (Russian Turkestan) of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, most of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia (Baltic provinces), a significant portion of Finland (Great Duchy of Finland) Poland (Kindom of Poland) and Ardahan, Artvin, Idir, Kars and northeastern part of Erzrum from Turkey (then part of the Ottoman Empire).

Various historical traditions and different status within the empire

Polish territories were included in Russian empires after three division of Poland (1772, 1793, 1795) by Russia, Austria and Prussia; Following the Swedish defeat in the Finnish War and the signing of the Treaty of Fredrikshamn on 17 September 1809, Finland was incorporated into the Russian Empire as an authonomus Great duchy. The Tsar ruled the Great duchy as a constitutional monarch through his governor and a native Finnish Senate appointed by him.

Administrative division
Russia was divided into 81 governorates (guberniyas), 20 oblasts, and 2 okrugs. Vassals and protectorates of the Russian Empire included the Emirate of Bukhara, the Khanate of Khiva and, after 1914, Tuva (Uriankhai). 11 Governorates, 17 oblasts and 1 okrug (Sakhalin) belonged to Asian Russia. 8 Governorates were in Finland, 10 in Poland. European Russia thus embraced 59 governorates and 1 oblast (that of the Don). Most of the units had the rest had each a governor and deputygovernor. In addition there were governors-general, placed over several governorates. In 1906, there were governors-general in Finland, Warsaw, Vilna, Kiev, Moscow, and Riga. The larger cities (Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Odessa, Sevastopol, Kerch, Nikolaev, Rostov) had an administrative system of their own, independent of the governorates; in these cities the chief of police acted as governor.

Administrative division of the Russian empire

Different legal norms for different territorial units

In 1913 49 governorates of Russian empire were ruled according to The Common governorate code, 9 governorates according to the Code of rule of the Polish kingdom, 13 governorates according to the Code of rule of Caucasus, 10 Siberian governorates according to the Code of Siberian rule. There was the special Code of rule of oblasts. Great duchy of Finland had its own Seim and Constitution. There was The code of lows of Russian empire. However the civil and trade codes of Napoleon (in the Polish kingdom), the Common code of Sweden kingdom (in Great duchy of Finland), Lithuanian and other statutes, Seim constitutions, Magdeburg lows (in Western provinces) were also applied etc.

Different legal norms for different groups of people

The existence of estates (nobility, clergy, merchant class, peasantry etc.) => legal inequality; A special code for Aliens (non-Russian people) Special rules for military-people (highlanders and some others)

Ethnic diversity and language policy

Slaves: Russians (72,5%), Poles (6,6% of population of European parts of the Russian empire), Ukraininans, Belorussians Baltic people; German peoples; Finish people; Turks; Mongolians; Others Several state languages. For example: Sweden and Finish languages in Finland

Ethnic composition of the Russian empire

Forms of government and political regimes.

Russian empire was an absolute monarchy until the Revolution of 1905. Russian tsars was a big and had absolute power. Paul I: In Russia somebody could be important only if I speak to him and only when I speak to him. Peter the Gtreat changed his title from Tsar in 1721, when he was declared the Emperor of all Russia.

Power structure and reforms

The basis of bureaucratic system were established by Peter the Great in the beginning of 18 century. Before that time on the regional and local level Russia was ruled by representatives of Tsar (voevoda). Bribery and embezzlement were widespread. The Great reforms of 1860-1870th effected by Alexander II (judicial reform, reform of Zemstvo, reform of city self-government, emancipation of serves, military reform etc.).

The Coat of arms of the Russian Empire

 On 17 October 1905 the Emperor decried that no measure was to become law without the consent of the State Duma established by the Organic Law issued on 28 April 1906. The Emperor retained the right to disband the Duma. He retained an absolute veto over all legislations, and only he could initiate any changes to the Organic Law itself. His ministers were responsible solely to him, and not to the Duma, which could question but could not remove them. Before 1905 the fundamental laws described the power of the Emperor as "autocratic and unlimited. After October 1905, while the imperial style was still "Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias" the fundamental laws were remodeled by removing the word unlimited

Forms of government and political regimes.

Structure of power
Under Russia's Fundamental Law of 20 February 1906, the Council of the Empire was associated with the Duma (the Lower house) as a legislative Upper House. The Council of the Empire, or Imperial Council consisted of 196 members, of whom 98 were nominated by the Emperor, while 98 were elective. The Duma of the Empire (Gosudarstvennaya Duma) consisted (since the ukaz of 2 June 1907) of 442 members elected by indirect procedure. Each province of the Empire, except Central Asia, returned a certain number of members; added to these were those returned by several large cities.

State Duma

Structure of power
The members of the Duma were chosen by electoral colleges and these, in their turn, were elected in assemblies of the three classes: landowners, citizens and peasants. In these assemblies the wealthiest owners sat in person while the lesser owners were represented by delegates. The urban population was divided into two categories according to taxable wealth, and elected delegates directly to the college of the governorates. The peasants were represented by delegates selected by the regional subdivisions called volosts. Workers were treated in special manner with every industrial concern employing fifty hands or over electing one or more delegates to the electoral college.
By the law of 18 October 1905, to assist the Emperor in the supreme administration a Council of Ministers (Sovyet Ministrov) was created, under a minister president, the first appearance of a prime minister in Russia. This council consisted of all the ministers and of the heads of the principal administrations.

Political parties
Fist Russian parties emerged in the end of 19 century and in the beginning of 20 century (social democrats (RSDRP), socialist revolutionaries (esery)). The 1905 revolution intensified the creation of political parties. During the revolution liberal and right parties have been created (Constitutional democratic party, Union of 17 October, Union of Russian people etc.). Some parties had their representatives in the State Duma. More than 50 political parties.

The February Revolution

The immediate result of the revolution was the abdicion of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian empire. The Tsar was replaced by a Russian Provisional Government. The Provisional Government was an alliance between liberals and socialists who wanted political reform. They set up a democratically-elected executive and constituent assembly. Socialists also formed the Petrograd Soviet, which ruled alongside the Provisional Government, an arrangement termed Dual Power. The February Revolution was followed in the same year by the October Revolution, bringing Bolshevik rule and a change in Russia's social structure, and paving the way for the USSR.

Conclusion
Some modern political institutions emerged; The Russian empire still remains traditional empire with the limited autocratic rule of the emperor; It created strong imperial tradition of power organization which would hinder the future development of the Russian state.