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 XVI. Conclusion

Collection:: Economics Books

CHAPTER XVI CONCLUSION Tue World War found the zemstvos’ work in full swing. It aroused immense patriotic enthusiasm in zemstvo circles and the determina- tion to serve the nation in the calamities which had come upon it. Men of the most diverse political opinions forgot their differences and, joining hands, and combining their efforts, succeeded in creat- ing a powerful central organization, which rested locally upon the provincial and district zemstvos and upon committees of the Zem- stvo Union. These local organs succeeded in rallying around them local forces. It is difficult to say to what extent the peasants and workers really understood the significance of the War, and how far they might have been in sympathy with its aim and objects if they had done so. At all events it is certain that the desire to contribute to the relief of the distress of the victims of the War was shared by all classes of the Russian people. They were only too anxious to give expression to this feeling in the activities of an organization which was accessible to all of them and enjoyed their confidence. This task was accomplished by the Unions of Zemstvos and of Towns. Amongst the educated classes the work of the unions was almost everywhere greeted with understanding, sympathy, and sup- port. At the front the activities of the Zemstvo Union gradually won the recognition of the army, and most military men looked upon the zemstvo workers as messengers from their far-away homes con- veying to them in a tangible form the sympathy of the nation and its desire to mitigate the sufferings of the army. The very nature of the work of the Union could not but win the cordial welcome and approval of the army. They carried on their work without stiff for- malities. In Moscow, when officers of the Union were being sent to the front, they would be simply told to do everything in their power for the army, and at the beginning of the War this was the only rule and the only law by which they were guided. Frequently, in situa- tions where the government officials were either unwilling or unable to ignore or exceed their official instructions, the unions were ready to take risks without worrying too much about purely formal re- sponsibilities. The result was that the troops soon became convinced that the Zemstvo Union was capable of accomplishing almost any-

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