Russian local government during the war and the Union of Zemstvos

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 1794855874

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-179223

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Polner, Tichon I. http://d-nb.info/gnd/172311195

Title:: Russian local government during the war and the Union of Zemstvos

Place of publication:: New Haven

Publisher:: Yale Univ. Press

Year of publication:: 1930

Scope:: XXV, 317 S.

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

Usage license:: Get license information via the feedback formular.

Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter V. The Zemstvos and the Zemstvo Union

Collection:: Economics Books

84 THE ZEMSTVOS DURING THE WAR the Government. At the close of September, 1916, the Minister of the Interior sent to the various zemstvo institutions the draft of a law setting up a small zemstvo unit and requested their opinions on it as soon as possible. The Central Committee of the Zemstvo Union invited the best authorities to examine the bill and then dis- patched a lengthy memorandum on the volost to all the provincial and district zemstvo boards. However, even now there was delay, so that it was only on May 21, 191%, that is, after the Revolution, that the Provisional Government was finally able to promulgate the law on the volost zemstvo. The Zemstovos and the Government. The War inspired the zemstvo workers with genuine patriotic enthusiasm and a unanimous desire to support the Government in the prosecution of the War. Nevertheless, sentiments of opposition were aroused among the zemstvo workers from the very outset of the activities of the Zemstvo Union, after such sentiments had, subse- quently to the Revolution of 1905, almost completely disappeared. This feeling of antagonism was due to the fact that the Government, fearing the growth of civic organizations that rallied the popular masses and competed with the official bureaucracy, was placing ob- stacles in the way of the Union. The Central Committee of the Union was acutely aware of the Government’s hostility. Whenever it was found that the authorities were absolutely helpless to do anything to meet new emergencies, and no one seemed willing to take the initiative, everybody looked toward the Unions for relief, and these were never found want- ing, but grappled with the work in every way possible and never shirked responsibilities. No sooner, however, would the crisis be passed and the Government feel more secure, than the authorities would forthwith remember that the Union of Zemstvos had been sanctioned by the Emperor only for the purpose of aiding the sick and wounded soldiers. The next step usually would be to give pre- cedence either to some bureaucratic organ or to a committee pre- sided over by some grand duchess. While the Government was un- able to dispense with the services of the zemstvos, the appropriations for these services would be made only through the medium of some charitable organization having nothing whatever in common with the zemstvos or through the provincial governors. On these occa-

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