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October 1907 Russian legislative election
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October 1907 Russian legislative election
Legislative elections were held in the Russian Empire in October 1907 to elect the 442 seats of the Third State Duma. It was the second election to the Duma that year after the January 1907 Russian election.
In June 1907, the Duma was forcibly dissolved by the Russian government, and some of its deputies arrested. Following the dissolution, the laws regarding elections were amended to favour wealthy pro-government Russians. The dissolution, arrest, and new electoral law were all done in violation of the Russian Constitution of 1906 as the Duma did not consent to any of the three actions.
The Union of October 17 emerged as the largest party in the election, winning 154 of the 442 seats. Other rightist parties also made huge gains in the election. Electoral turnout fell massively compared to the prior State Duma elections.
The second State Duma, focused on discussing questions of agrarian land reform and rights for national minorities in the Empire. Much of the second Duma's agenda was drafted and negotiated in spite of the government and the State Council of the Russian Empire.
On 14 June [O.S. 1 June] 1907 Pyotr Stolypin—the Prime Minister of the Russian Empire—spoke before the Duma claiming that there was a plot by the Russian Social-Democratic Labor Party (RSDLP). The accusations were flawed, and included muddled updates and information. Nevertheless, Stolypin demanded the Duma suspend the legal immunity of the accused deputies. The Duma instead established a Special Committee to independently investigate the claims. The Special Committee sat all day on 15 June, and into 1:30 am on the morning of 16 June.
At 5:00 am on 16 June [O.S. 3 June], Tsar Nicholas II forcibly dissolved the State Duma by decree, calling for new elections to begin on 1 September and for the Third Duma to begin on the 1 November. The decree claimed that members of the Duma had been conspiring against the Government and the Tsar. According to the Russian Constitution of 1906, members of the Duma were not meant to be imprisoned without their legal immunity being suspended by the Duma, and being sentenced by a court. Despite this, a number of RSDLP deputies were detained and imprisoned for months without trial, and without State Duma approval.
Quickly following the dissolution, the new Electoral Law 1907 was enacted by decree. The new election laws favoured conservative and rightist elements of the Duma, as well as being particularly bias electorally towards Russians and wealthy landowners. These changes were designed to further disparage peasants and workers, as well as non-Russians in the empire, from influence within the State Duma. The new law also changed the proportion of electors. In total, the Electoral Law 1907 resulted in the number of State Duma members being reduced from 524 deputies down to 442. The Stolypin government hoped that these changes would both promote a maluable duma, whilst still permitting some level of representation.
These series of actions were of dubious legality. The Duma was not supposed to be altered without the approval of the Duma. The imposed new electoral laws, coupled with the forced dissolution of the State Duma, represented a coup d'état by the Stolypin government and Nicholas II.
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October 1907 Russian legislative election
Legislative elections were held in the Russian Empire in October 1907 to elect the 442 seats of the Third State Duma. It was the second election to the Duma that year after the January 1907 Russian election.
In June 1907, the Duma was forcibly dissolved by the Russian government, and some of its deputies arrested. Following the dissolution, the laws regarding elections were amended to favour wealthy pro-government Russians. The dissolution, arrest, and new electoral law were all done in violation of the Russian Constitution of 1906 as the Duma did not consent to any of the three actions.
The Union of October 17 emerged as the largest party in the election, winning 154 of the 442 seats. Other rightist parties also made huge gains in the election. Electoral turnout fell massively compared to the prior State Duma elections.
The second State Duma, focused on discussing questions of agrarian land reform and rights for national minorities in the Empire. Much of the second Duma's agenda was drafted and negotiated in spite of the government and the State Council of the Russian Empire.
On 14 June [O.S. 1 June] 1907 Pyotr Stolypin—the Prime Minister of the Russian Empire—spoke before the Duma claiming that there was a plot by the Russian Social-Democratic Labor Party (RSDLP). The accusations were flawed, and included muddled updates and information. Nevertheless, Stolypin demanded the Duma suspend the legal immunity of the accused deputies. The Duma instead established a Special Committee to independently investigate the claims. The Special Committee sat all day on 15 June, and into 1:30 am on the morning of 16 June.
At 5:00 am on 16 June [O.S. 3 June], Tsar Nicholas II forcibly dissolved the State Duma by decree, calling for new elections to begin on 1 September and for the Third Duma to begin on the 1 November. The decree claimed that members of the Duma had been conspiring against the Government and the Tsar. According to the Russian Constitution of 1906, members of the Duma were not meant to be imprisoned without their legal immunity being suspended by the Duma, and being sentenced by a court. Despite this, a number of RSDLP deputies were detained and imprisoned for months without trial, and without State Duma approval.
Quickly following the dissolution, the new Electoral Law 1907 was enacted by decree. The new election laws favoured conservative and rightist elements of the Duma, as well as being particularly bias electorally towards Russians and wealthy landowners. These changes were designed to further disparage peasants and workers, as well as non-Russians in the empire, from influence within the State Duma. The new law also changed the proportion of electors. In total, the Electoral Law 1907 resulted in the number of State Duma members being reduced from 524 deputies down to 442. The Stolypin government hoped that these changes would both promote a maluable duma, whilst still permitting some level of representation.
These series of actions were of dubious legality. The Duma was not supposed to be altered without the approval of the Duma. The imposed new electoral laws, coupled with the forced dissolution of the State Duma, represented a coup d'état by the Stolypin government and Nicholas II.
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