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 III. Origin and organization of the All-Russian Union of Zemstvos

Collection:: Economics Books

CHAPTER III ORIGIN AND ORGANIZATION OF THE ALL-RUSSIAN UNION OF ZEMSTVOS Public Organizations for the Relief of War Sufferers. WHENEVER grave public calamities threatened the country, the more intelligent elements of Russian society were found to be not only keenly alive to the needs of the situation, but anxious to do their best in the work of relief, through direct participation. They were not merely inspired by sentiments of philanthropy and hu- manity, but they were determined to offer their contributions to the relief work through representatives in whom they could have abso- lute confidence; they were anxious thereby to comfort and encourage the sufferers, mitigating the purely official and sometimes formalis- tic attitude of the authorities. This sentiment had been noted in Russia repeatedly in the past, and more particularly in cases of war. The Government did not always look with favor upon public en- deavors of this nature, seeing in them expressions of distrust and a desire to control the acts of the authorities. Moreover, in the opinion of the Government, the participation of public bodies in such activi- ties could only complicate the work that had to be done and would impose restrictions on the procedure that would only interfere with the prompt and categorical character of the official measures. This explains why it was only gradually and in the face of much opposi- tion that the public was able to attain its objects in cases like these. In spite of this official attitude, attempts of the kind above de- scribed had already been made under the rather harsh and severe rule of Nicholas I. In the Crimean War, in 1854, ladies belonging to the best Russian society made their appearance in the military hos- pitals at Sebastopol, having at last induced the Emperor to grant them permission to render direct aid to the sick and wounded sol- diers. The military authorities, however, as well as the medical staffs of these hospitals, received them in a spirit that was anything but cordial. But the command of the Tsar, coupled with the irreproach- ably tactful bearing of these women, at last forced their male oppo- nents to acquiesce and make their peace with this “unheard-of inno- vation.”

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