Russian local government during the war and the Union of Zemstvos

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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

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Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

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

Collection:: Economics Books

88 THE ZEMSTVOS DURING THE WAR mining fixed prices, then the zemstvo will be unable to guarantee a sufficient area of cultivation in the spring of 1917, and on the con- trary fears the occurrence of food riots.” It so happened that the prophecy of the Orenburg zemstvo was fulfilled, for a month later food riots actually did break out, only not-at Orenburg, but at Petrograd, culminating in the Revolution. It is not easy to determine precisely how far the zemstvos were right in striving to dictate a food policy to the Government. In this matter, institutions of local government, as representatives of those classes which were engaged in food production, were naturally an interested party. Besides, it cannot be denied that in time of war the organization of food supply requires a vast amount of central- ized control, such as we observe in every other country that took part in the War. It is true, on the other hand, that there were plenty of good reasons for the hostile attitude of the zemstvos to the Government quite apart from the quarrel over the food supply policy. The steadily increasing chaos, for which the Government was wholly responsible, was adding fuel to the disaffection not only in zemstvo circles, but in all classes of society. To this we have to add the effect of the consecutive defeats suffered by the army at the front, the struggle of the Government with the Duma, and the moral corruption in court circles and among the highest officials. In speaking of the war activities of the zemstvos it is impossible to distinguish between the zemstvos and the Zemstvo Union. In pro- viding for the needs of the War, the zemstvos were working loyally and in full harmony with the Central Committee of the Union, while locally the organs of the Union were acting in full accord with the zemstvo assemblies. The zemstvo boards were everywhere mem- bers of these committees. It is impossible, therefore, to state defi- nitely where the work of the individual zemstvo ended and that of the Union began. Consequently, as we go into a more detailed de- scription of the different branches of zemstvo work, we shall make no attempt to distinguish between the zemstvos and the local organs of the Zemstvo Union. We shall commence our account of the combined work of the zemstvos and their Union with their activities in the organization and relief of the population in the interior of Russia, after which we shall consider the development of the Union’s activities in the war zone.

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