Russian Constituent Assembly
In 1906, Tsar Nicholas II granted basic civil liberties and established the State Duma as a new legislative body. The Duma never received authorization to write a constitution or abolish the monarchy. Government leaders dissolved the Duma in July 1906 and again in June 1907 after fresh elections. A final election law written by the government favored landed and ruling classes over poorer peasants and working people. The Emperor or appointed upper house frequently vetoed whatever little the Duma could accomplish after 1907. Demands for a Constituent Assembly elected on universal suffrage continued unabated throughout this period.
More than 60 percent of citizens with voting rights cast ballots for the Constituent Assembly during November 1917. Socialist Revolutionaries won 17,943,000 votes representing 40.4 percent of the total. Bolsheviks secured 10,661,000 votes accounting for 24.0 percent of the vote share. Ukrainian SRs received 3,433,000 votes making up 7.7 percent of the total. Constitutional Democrats known as Kadets obtained 2,088,000 votes equaling 4.7 percent. Mensheviks garnered 1,144,000 votes which was 2.6 percent of all votes cast. Other Russian Liberal Parties collected 1,261,000 votes representing 2.8 percent. Georgian Menshevik Party received 662,000 votes at 1.5 percent. Musavat from Azerbaijan won 616,000 votes equaling 1.4 percent. Dashnaktsutiun in Armenia secured 560,000 votes at 1.3 percent. Left SRs obtained 451,000 votes making 1.0 percent. Other Socialists gathered 401,000 votes at 0.9 percent. Alash Orda from Kazakhstan received 407,000 votes also at 0.9 percent. Other National Minority Parties collected another 407,000 votes for 0.9 percent. Total counted votes reached 40,034,000 representing 90 percent. Unaccounted ballots numbered 4,543,000 making up the remaining 10 percent. The Socialist-Revolutionary Party received around 57 to 58 percent including social democratic allies among rural peasants who constituted 80 percent of Russia's population.
Vladimir Lenin told the Extraordinary All-Russia Congress of Soviets of Peasants' Deputies that the Constituent Assembly should not distract peasants from fighting capital. People's Commissar for Naval Affairs Pavel Dybenko ordered 7,000 pro-Bolshevik Kronstadt sailors on full alert in case the Assembly convened. A meeting of some 20,000 Kronstadt soldiers, sailors, workers and peasants resolved to support only an Assembly confirming October Revolution achievements free of Kaledinites and counter-revolutionary bourgeoisie leaders. On the 29th of November 1917, Lenin published Theses on the Constituent Assembly arguing a republic of Soviets represented higher democracy than bourgeois constitutions. Lenin claimed the Assembly did not truly represent Russian people because ballots failed to split Right SRs from pro-Bolshevik Left SRs. At a December 11 meeting of the Bolshevik Central Committee, Lenin prevailed over moderates who held majority among delegates. He ordered all Bolshevik delegates to follow his line despite their opposition. The Soviet government declared the Constitutional Democratic Party enemies of the people and arrested its leaders on the 29th of November 1917.
On the morning of the 5th of January 1918, a large crowd gathered in Petrograd to march toward the Tauride Palace supporting the Constituent Assembly. Soldiers loyal to the Bolshevik-Left SR Soviet government shot at the demonstrators and dispersed them. The demonstration consisted mainly of middle-class students, civil servants and professionals rather than expected numbers of soldiers and workers. Armed guards stood everywhere inside the Tauride Palace with weapons allegedly pointed at speaking delegates. Viktor Chernov elected President of the Assembly feared a brawl if he became too assertive. Yakov Sverdlov claimed authority to open the Assembly through the Central Executive Committee causing indignant reactions from non-Bolshevik delegates. Fyodor Raskolnikov read a prepared statement declaring the Central Executive Committee's hope that the Assembly would associate itself with the Declaration of Rights of Working and Exploited People. Ivan Skvortsov-Stepanov delivered a speech approved by Lenin explaining Bolshevik opposition to bourgeois democracy in favor of class rule by peasants and workers. The Assembly dominated by anti-Bolshevik Right SRs elected Victor Chernov Chairman with 244 votes against 153 for Maria Spiridonova of Left SRs. Bolsheviks placed Second Soviet Congress Decrees before the Assembly for endorsement but they were rejected by 237 votes to 136. Around 4 a.m., Commandant Anatoli Zhelezniakov approached Chernov saying the Assembly had outlived its purpose. The Assembly voted for proposals including radical land reform and democratic federal republic status then dispersed at 4:40 a.m. Deputies found the building locked down the next day as the government declared it dissolved.
Barred from the Tauride Palace, Constituent Assembly deputies met at Gurevich High School holding secret meetings under increasingly dangerous conditions. Some tried relocating to Kiev controlled by the Tsentralna Rada but forces abandoned the city on the 19th of January 1918 terminating the Assembly as cohesive body. Socialist Revolutionary Central Committee decided against armed resistance since conditions made success impossible. Socialists returned to Soviet bodies like Petrograd Soviet hoping re-elections would return pro-SR majorities once Bolsheviks failed solving pressing problems. Socialist Revolutionaries and Mensheviks started Assemblies of Workers' Plenipotentiaries running parallel with Bolshevik-dominated Soviets though these proved popular yet ineffective. Left Socialist Revolutionary leadership viewed Bolshevik government as German proxy after Treaty of Brest-Litovsk signed the 3rd of March 1918. Negotiations broke down because SRs insisted reconvening original November 1917 Assembly while Constitutional Democrats demanded new elections. On the 7th of May 1918 Eighth Party Council decided starting uprising against Bolsheviks goal reconvening Constituent Assembly. Czechoslovak Legions overthrew Bolshevik rule in Siberia Urals and Volga region late May early June 1918 shifting center of SR activity there.
On the 8th of June 1918 five Constituent Assembly members formed All-Russian Constituent Assembly Committee known as Komuch declaring it supreme authority in Samara. The committee gained support from Czechoslovak Legions spreading authority over much Volga-Kama region. Most Siberia and Ural regions controlled patchwork ethnic Cossack military liberal-rightist local governments constantly clashing with committee. Committee functioned until September 1918 growing to about 90 Constituent Assembly members when State Conference formed coalition All-Russian Supreme Authority called Ufa Directory. Viktor Chernov arrived in Samara on the 19th of September 1918 persuading Central Committee withdraw support viewing Directory too conservative with insufficient SR presence. Two months later the 18th of November 1918 right-wing officers overthrew Directory making Admiral Alexander Kolchak new leader. Commander P.D. Malkov executed former Baltic sailor order came from Yakov Sverdlov who six weeks earlier ordered Tsar family murder. Both Kolchak and General Anton Denikin officially subscribed principle non-predetermination refusing determine social political system Russia would have until after Bolshevism defeated. Kolchak accepted Allied conditions the 26th of May 1919 including free elections but refused reconvene original Assembly claiming elected under Bolshevik rule not fully free. Allies deemed response satisfactory the 12th of June 1919 abandoning demand for reconvocation of original Constituent Assembly.
Marcel Liebman's 1975 book Leninism under Lenin argued Bolsheviks and allies held majority in Soviets due to different electoral systems. Per 1918 Soviet Constitution each urban Soviet had one delegate per 25,000 voters while rural Soviet allowed only one delegate per 125,000 voters. Richard Pipes stated elections to Second Congress were not fair noting one Soviet with 1,500 members sent five delegates more than Kiev. Diane P. Koenker considered Pipes interpretation fundamentally reactionary presenting sympathetic view imperial forces depicting Lenin single-minded ruthless cowardly intellectual. Orlando Figes wrote that Right SR allegiance to Provisional Government isolated them from mass peasants who viewed Assembly distant thing city dominated chiefs various parties they did not understand. O.H. Radkey argued democratic parties heaped opprobrium upon Lenin yet their following showed little inclination defending institution Russian people ceased regarding necessary fulfillment cherished desires. The Constituent Assembly caught back-eddy swiftly flowing stream revolutionary developments no longer commanded interest general population securing violent death. After Bolshevik victory Southern Front late 1920 thirty-eight members met Paris 1921 forming executive committee including Pavel Milyukov Aleksandr Konovalov Avksentiev Kerensky proving ineffective like other emigre organizations.
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Common questions
What were the vote totals for each party in the Russian Constituent Assembly election of November 1917?
Socialist Revolutionaries won 17,943,000 votes representing 40.4 percent of the total while Bolsheviks secured 10,661,000 votes accounting for 24.0 percent of the vote share. Ukrainian SRs received 3,433,000 votes making up 7.7 percent and Constitutional Democrats known as Kadets obtained 2,088,000 votes equaling 4.7 percent.
When did Vladimir Lenin publish Theses on the Constituent Assembly to argue against its convening?
Lenin published Theses on the Constituent Assembly on the 29th of November 1917 arguing a republic of Soviets represented higher democracy than bourgeois constitutions. He claimed the Assembly did not truly represent Russian people because ballots failed to split Right SRs from pro-Bolshevik Left SRs.
How many votes did the Socialist-Revolutionary Party receive in the Russian Constituent Assembly election compared to other parties?
The Socialist-Revolutionary Party received around 57 to 58 percent including social democratic allies among rural peasants who constituted 80 percent of Russia's population. Total counted votes reached 40,034,000 representing 90 percent while unaccounted ballots numbered 4,543,000 making up the remaining 10 percent.
What happened during the meeting of the Russian Constituent Assembly on the morning of January 5 1918?
On the morning of the 5th of January 1918 soldiers loyal to the Bolshevik-Left SR Soviet government shot at demonstrators and dispersed them outside the Tauride Palace. The Assembly dominated by anti-Bolshevik Right SRs elected Victor Chernov Chairman with 244 votes against 153 for Maria Spiridonova of Left SRs before dispersing at 4:40 a.m.
When was the All-Russian Constituent Assembly Committee known as Komuch formed in Samara?
On the 8th of June 1918 five Constituent Assembly members formed All-Russian Constituent Assembly Committee known as Komuch declaring it supreme authority in Samara. The committee gained support from Czechoslovak Legions spreading authority over much Volga-Kama region until September 1918 when State Conference formed coalition All-Russian Supreme Authority called Ufa Directory.