The First State Duma of the Russian Empire

The establishment of the State Duma was a necessary measure. A representative body was formed in accordance with the Manifesto and the Election Regulations. These legislative acts were issued in 1906, on August 6th.

The First State Duma is a direct result of the Revolution of 1905-1907. Under the pressure of the liberal part of the government (mainly in the person of Witte (prime minister)), Nicholas II, deciding not to aggravate the situation, made it clear to his subjects that he was ready to take into account the society's need to create a representative body. His intentions were expressed directly by the Emperor in the Manifesto of 1906. And the provisions of the Manifesto of 1905 significantly expanded the powers of the future representative body. In particular, according to point three, the State Duma of the Russian Empire was transformed from a legislative to a legislative one. Thus, it was now seen as the lower chamber of parliament, from which the bills moved to the upper house - the State Council.

Together with the Manifesto of October 17, 1905, which contained the promises of the autocrat to involve "layers of the population", if possible, to the legislative process, those who had been deprived of the right to vote in the past, another Decree was approved on October 19. In accordance with its provisions, the Council of Ministers has become a permanent supreme government body. Its goal was to ensure the unification and direction of the actions of the main departmental leaders on issues of higher governance and the legislative process. Thus, it was established that the State Duma of the Russian Empire could consider bills that had only been discussed in the Council of Ministers.

Relative independence was vested in: the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the court, the naval and military ministers. However, they must necessarily report to their king about their work.

Twice and thrice a week, the Council of Ministers was to be convened. His chairman until April 1906 was Witte, after him until July was Goremykin. Later, Stolypin took the post of chairman.

The First State Duma of the Russian Empire worked from April 27 to July 9, 1906. The opening took place in the Throne Room of the Petersburg Winter Palace. Subsequently, the State Duma of the Russian Empire met in the Tauride Palace.

The election procedure was established by the Law on Elections, adopted in 1905, in December. On the basis of the provisions of the law, four curia were established: workers, peasants, city and landowners.

Those who were employed in enterprises, where the number of workers was at least fifty, were admitted to the working curia. In accordance with this provision, about two million men lost their voting rights . There were no voting rights for women, those who were liable for military service, young people under twenty-five, and some national minorities. The elections themselves were multistage.

On average, the number of elected deputies in the Duma varied between four hundred and eighty to five hundred and twenty-five people.

In 1906, on April 23, Nicholas II approved the Code of Basic Laws. The Duma could make amendments to it only on the initiative of the autocrat. On the basis of the Code, all the laws that were adopted were to be approved by the tsar, and the executive as well as before was in full subordination to it.

Despite the administrative reforms carried out, the Emperor himself appointed ministers, he was subordinated to the armed forces, he alone controlled the foreign policy of the state, concluded peace, introduced a state of emergency, declared war. In addition, in the Code was registered a paragraph authorizing the autocrat in between the Duma meetings to issue new acts, laws or decrees only personally from himself.