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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Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter XVI. Conclusion

Collection:: Economics Books

306 THE ZEMSTVOS DURING THE WAR The extremist elements, however, did not rest satisfied with this change. To them, it seemed absolutely necessary that the Union should be reorganized from top to bottom. They advocated and agi- tated for elections of delegates to all the institutions of the Union by universal, direct, equal, and secret suffrage. They insisted that meetings should be held of delegates of their own choice and that these meetings should elect the principal officers of the Union. End- less discussions took place regarding the system of voting and the local election procedure. At last, everything was ready and the new delegates were able to hold their meetings at the front. These dele- gates now included many representatives of the less educated groups of employees. Yet these men were eager to discuss political questions and many of them were under the influence of extreme political slo- gans. Nevertheless, in the end, the old leaders of the organization were reélected in the overwhelming majority of instances. The fact remains, however, that these conferences and meetings, where idle talk was the rule rather than the exception, wasted much precious time and energy, rendering the work more difficult and affecting the results unfavorably. Within the country, as has been already pointed out, events simi- lar in character were taking place. During the summer and autumn of 191%, zemstvo elections were held everywhere under the new elec- toral law. The majority of the newly elected zemstvo assemblies held their sessions in August and September. At first it had been n- tended to summon a conference of the newly elected representatives of the Zemstvo Union in Moscow not later than in November. How- ever, owing to the Bolshevik Revolution, some of the zemstvo assem- blies found it impossible to elect delegates in time. Consequently, the Moscow conference had repeatedly to be postponed and was unable to meet until January, 1918. Most of the old officers of the Zemstvo Union abstained from seeking reélection, so that the new committee was made up of new men. They were confronted by a most difficult task—that of saving the organization of the Union from usurpation by the Bolsheviks. At the beginning of 1918 the Soviet Government issued a decree nationalizing the properties of the Union. In spite of this, the new committee succeeded in maintaining itself for over a year. It was however moribund. The property of the Union at the front was seized partly by the Germans and partly by the Bolshe- viks, and the Government, as it gained strength, exercised increas

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