Election Campaigns to the First and Second State Dumas of the Russian Empire in Vologda Governorate: Power, Society, Electorate

The article examines the prevailing trends in political development in Russia during the Duma monarchy. As an example, it uses the election campaigns to the First and Second State Dumas in Vologda Governorate. The author highlights the regional features of the elections, such as the absolute predominance of peasant voters in the governorate electoral assembly, the absence of a working-class curia, and the diverse composition of the landowning curia, which did not have a landowning majority. It is emphasized that the elections to the First Duma were characterized by the interaction of the governorate authorities, small-numbered qualified public, and the largest in number group of peasant voters. The demands of the peasants are reconstructed based on the sentences to the State Duma. The first elections were held practically without serious interference from the authorities, public policy was emerging, and the peasantry was undergoing political self-determination. Despite the radicalism of the left-wing public, it seemed that the country had embarked on a constitutional path. However, soon after the dissolution of the First Duma, the situation changed. The course adopted by the government of P. Stolypin, focused on the “pacification” of the country, changed the relationship of the governorate authorities with society and the general electorate. It is shown how Vologda Governor A. Khvostov used the entire spectrum of administrative and police methods in order to prevent opposition candidates from running during the election campaign to the Second Duma. Another innovation of this campaign was the involvement of the right-wing clergy in the elections. In the article, particular attention is paid to the participation of political parties in the election campaign: the Cadets who entered into an election agreement with the Social Democrats and neo-Narodnik groups, the Union of the Russian People, and the Union of 17 October. It is noted that despite all the administrative obstacles on the part of the authorities, the elections to the Second State Duma in Vologda Governorate turned into a victory for radically minded peasants, who had an absolute majority in the governorate electoral assembly. Four peasants, who joined the Trudoviks in the parliament, and a left-wing Cadet close to them were elected from Vologda Governorate. This circumstance spoke of the growth of political literacy of peasant voters, who learned to connect their aspirations with specific political forces. It is concluded that beginning with the elections to the Second Duma, anti-constitutional tendencies in the political development of the country began to assert themselves at the provincial level. This fact led to the polarization of political forces and radicalization of public sentiment.

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