Despite social reforms,
there were no changes
to his power
Alexander
III
Autocracy
Suppressed people
to increase control
Nicholas
II
Autocracy
After the 1905 revolution the Duma
was introduced in the October
Manifesto but no power was lost
The Duma ended up with
no power anyway after the
Fundamental laws
Lenin
Dictatorship
Believed Marxism could
be sped up by having a
government in place to
support workers until
the uprising
Used war
communism
Stalin
Totalitarianism
Wanted to destroy the base
of society using a
'superstructure' led by a
dictator with no opposition
Khruschev
Destalinisation
Increased freedoms
and dismantled Stalin's
cult of personality
Central
Administration
Pre-1905
Tsars in the centre of all
government organs
Personal Chancellery of His
Imperial Majesty: Tsars'
secretaries, legal advisers and the
secret police
Council of Ministers
(1861-1882): Officials
nominated by the Tsar to
draft legislation
Senate: acted as a
Supreme Court
Imperial Council of State:
Appointed by the Tsar and advised
on legal and financial matters
Committee of Ministers: Ministers in
charge of ministries for particular
aspects of Russian affairs. Each minister
had connections to departments with
very specific responsibilities, but had
purely administrative roles. There were
problems due to lack of communication.
1905-1917
After the
October
Manifesto
Tsar: continued to
rule autocratically
Council of ministers:
State Council: previously the
imperial council of state, it
oversaw the Dumas. Members
were appointed by the Tsar or
chosen as representatives.
Dumas: Elected by social groups
Dumas:
Provisional
Government
Made up of the PG and
opposition - the main being
the Bolsheviks
Temporary until a
Constituent Assembly could
be designed and elected
Communists
Under the Bolsheviks, government
consisted of the Executive
Committee, the Council of People's
Commissars, and the Cheka
Under Stalin and Khrushchev,
government consisted of the
Supreme Soviet, Soviet of the
Union, and the Soviet of
Nationalities
Local
Government
Tsars
Mir (Before 1861): linked
central government with the
provinces owned by nobles
Zemstva (After Emancipation
of Serfs): covered areas of
'Great Russia'
Duma (After 1870): Urban
equivalent of Zemstva
Courts introduced a Jury system,
hierarchy of cases, reduced
corruption, and allowed public
access to courts in 1864, but this
didn't work
In 1877, police were centralised, new
courts were introduced for political
cases, and justices of the peace were
replaced by land captains
Provisional
Government
Labelled the Duma and
Zemstva counter-revolutionary
so replaced them in 1917
Set up Soviets in 1917 -
workers who organised
strikes and organised
services including the army
The 'Third Element' wanted
the central government to
be remodeled based on the
Duma and Zemstva
Communists
Dominated by Soviets
Used 'Revolutionary
Justice' and legalised the
use of terror in 1921
Opposition
Pre-1905
1905-1917
Provisional
Government
Communists
Reforms
Alexander
II
Ended reforms after
an unsuccessful
assassination
attempt
Emancipation of the Serfs
allowed peasants to be freed
from nobles
Reformed education by
altering the curriculum and
introducing private schools
and inspectors
Introduced the
Zemstva
(elected local
council)
Allowed greater
freedoms by
reducing
censorship
Was assassinated due to
radicals wanting an end to
autocracy, as although he
made reforms he still had
absolute power
Alexander
III
Nicholas
II
Reforms after 1905
revolution, still
remained absolute
ruler
Provisional
Government
Lenin
Stalin
Khruschev
Repression
Khrushchev
Stalin
Lenin
Provisional
Government
Nicholas
II
Alexander
III
Alexander
II
Impact of Dictatorial
Regimes
Economic Change
Social Change
Urban Life
Rural Lifew
Freedoms
Impact of War and
Revolution
Russian Empire, Nationalities and Satellite States