3. • Nicholas II had never accepted
the dilution of his authority
wrung out of him by the
Revolution of 1905.
The Tsar
• As Russia approached the Great War, Nicholas
continued to see the Duma as an unnecessary
and even dangerous institution.
4. Important information
• The Fourth Duma was of limited political influence.
• Dominated by right-wing parties willing to co-operate
• In August 1914 the Duma volunteered its own
dissolution for the duration of the war.
• The fourth Duma marked the end of the constitutional
experiment in Russia.
• They were dominated by the Octobrists and the
Monarchists.
• The Cadets and the handful of socialists occupied
about one quarter of the seats in the Duma.
5. Composition
Party First Duma Second Duma Third Duma Fourth Duma
Russian Social Democratic Party 18 (Mensheviks) 47 (Mensheviks) 19 (Bolsheviks) 15 (Bolsheviks)
Socialist-Revolutionary Party – 37 – –
Labour group 136 104 13 10
Progressist Party 27 28 28 41
Constitutional Democratic Party
(Kadets)
179 92 52 57
Non-Russian National Groups 121 – 26 21
Centre Party – – – 33
Octobrist Party 17 42 154 95
Nationalists 60 93 26 22
Rightists 8 10 147 154
TOTAL 566 453 465 448
6. Achievements
• Social reform work continued, but prepared to criticise
government.
• Its former members, displeased with Tsarist control of
military, demanded its own reinstatement which
Nicholas conceded to in August 1915.
• During the 1917 February Revolution, group of Duma
members formed the Provisional Committee, which
sent commissars to take over ministries and other
government institutions, dismissing Tsar-appointed
ministries and later formed the Provisional
Government.
