1. The nature of government

2. Candidates should know, understand and be able to explain autocracy, dictatorship and totalitarianism; change and continuity in central administration; methods of repression and enforcement; the extent and impact of reform; the extent and effectiveness of opposition both before and after 1917.

3. Change and continuity in central administration Tsarist authority: Paternalistic- protecting the people Role of Russian Orthodox Church ‘Orthodoxy, Autocracy and Nationality’ Konstantin Pobedonostsev : advising Alex II All Tsars promoted autocracy

4. Government structures and institutions Government 1855-1905 largely the same and paternalistic Pressure for change 1905 Progressive bloc- members of Duma who want a national government Nic II suspends the Duma 1915, but opens a year later Petrograd soviet formed alongside Duma feb 1917

5. Lenin and the Bolsheviks ‘All Russian congress of Soviets’: new government ‘Peoples Commissars’ (ministers) met in a council, Lenin chairman Sovnarkom ‘Peoples commissars council’: elections from district soviets Appears democratic…. But soviets dominated by the Bolsheviks

6. Stalin and the USSR Continue democratic centralism 1936 constitution appears democratic Supreme Soviet elected council of peoples commissars, two houses (democratic?) Many organs: politburo, council of commissars Soviets abandoned

7. Local government The mir Zemstvos 1894, elected membership (property qualification), only in Great Russia 1870: urban equivalent: Duma, qualification tougher to exclude the urban proletariat Zemstvos and duma: health, education, transport Central government began to dislike: councils largely members of the intelligentsia

8. Judicial changes 1864: reforms under Alex II Alex III less liberal: terror, land captains 1921: legal to use terror to stop counter revolutionaries

9. Nature of Government: Change or continuity? Change Use of repression “In the name of the Tsar” became “in the name of the people”. More repressive as technology improved

10. Autocracy and dictatorship the same? Structure of government always hierarchical, lacks representation of the bulk of the population Opposition throughout the era tended to be a handful of individuals, and often fragmented – Hell, People’s Will, Land and Liberty – Bolsheviks, Mensheviks – Left Opposition, Right Opposition

11. Turning points? 1905? 1917?