Constitutional history in Russia (historical conditions of each of the constitutions- 1918, 1924, 1936, 1977, 1993)

JULY 1918- FIRST RUSSIAN
SOVIET FEDERATED SOCIALIST
REPUBLIC (RSFSR) CONSTITUTION

1) structure of ascending soviets and
committees; in reality it was one-party state
already;
2) unequal voting: so called “class’ approach:
city voters were given more voting power than
rural ones;
3) Soviets were in reality replaced by Bolshevik Party, but it used the “soviet”- or state, framework as its apparatus;
4)” Federated” pointed to a desired solution of
the nationality question;
5) “Socialist” indicated a belief in the eventual
elimination of capitalism and the market

CREATING THE USSR IN 1922
a) on Lenin’s bases, union of 4 republics;
b) Contradictory Constitution of the 1924
(second Soviet constitution, but the first USSR
Constitution; 1936- 3d Constitution under Stalin; 1977 under Brezhnev; 1993- Constitution of New Russia under B.Eltsin):
== the right to each republic on free enter the Union, but nothing said about the way to do it;
== statement that the USSR protects sovereign rights of the republics in Union, but all was decided by only one Communist party in Moscow, and its statements were obligatory on all soviet Union territory.
In sum, under the façade of the federation a
Unitarian centralized state was formed
C) MAIN FEATURES:
==only one Communist party, which
governed from Moscow;
 == economic ties;
== military-political union, formed during the
Civil war;
== diplomatic union (since Geneva peace
conference in 1922)

3D-“STALIN CONSTITUTION’
OF THE 1936: CONTRADICTIONS
BETWEEN THE WORDS AND
REALITY

a) on paper- the entire litany of western civil
rights- except for those of private property
(author- N.Bukharin);
b) official Soviets structure:
== Supreme Soviet of 2 chambers: the Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities;
==a small ‘presidium”, whose chair was the
official president of the USSR, a ceremonial
office;

== cabinet (Sovnarcom)- its chair (equivalent in form to Prime-Minister)- V. Molotov
c )by this time a system known as
nomenklatura had been established: a
secret ‘list of names” of those eligible
for employment, transfer, or removal in
hundreds of key party, state, and economic
positions as well as ranks within those jobs;
d) economy in which one could own personal
property (furniture, clothes, books, etc.),
but not business of any kind* had to be
run by a huge bureaucracy that dealt with
things that democratic market states left to
private activity: production and distribution
of goods and cultural and social life;

e) the Union of the Soviet Socialist republics-
USSR- 11 republics ( by 2d Soviet constitution
of 1924- 4 republics)
*Dual life of the soviet society: repressive
and enthusiast labor
 

Constitution of 1977- the third and the last Soviet constitutions 1924, 1936, though 1918 was only the Russian Constitution):
a) delay in constructing Communism: we are
not ready yet, we have to pass a previous stage
( by Khrushchev we had to live in Communist
Paradise by 1980 already);
b) introducing a special article- №6: directive
role of the only one political party- Communist
Party- was signed legally for ever;
c) stating main democratic freedoms, but all of them were violated in reality

CREATING THE USSR IN 1922
a) on Lenin’s bases, union of 4 republics;
b) Contradictory Constitution of the 1924
(second Soviet constitution, but the first USSR
Constitution; 1936- 3d Constitution under Stalin; 1977 under Brezhnev; 1993- Constitution of New Russia under B.Eltsin):
== the right to each republic on free enter the Union, but nothing said about the way to do it;
== statement that the USSR protects sovereign rights of the republics in Union, but all was decided by only one Communist party in Moscow, and its statements were obligatory on all soviet Union territory.

In sum, under the façade of the federation a Unitarian centralized state was formed
C) MAIN FEATURES:
==only one Communist party, which
governed from Moscow;
 == economic ties;
== military-political union, formed during the
Civil war;
== diplomatic union (since Geneva peace
conference in 1922)

3D-“STALIN CONSTITUTION’
OF THE 1936: CONTRADICTIONS
BETWEEN THE WORDS AND
REALITY

a) on paper- the entire litany of western civil rights- except for those of private property (author- N.Bukharin);
b) official Soviets structure:
== Supreme Soviet of 2 chambers: the Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities;
==a small ‘presidium”, whose chair was the official president of the USSR, a ceremonial office;

== cabinet (Sovnarcom)- its chair (equivalent in form to Prime-Minister)- V. Molotov
c) by this time a system known as
nomenklatura had been established: a
secret ‘list of names” of those eligible
for employment, transfer, or removal in
hundreds of key party, state, and economic
positions as well as ranks within those jobs;
d) economy in which one could own personal property (furniture, clothes, books, etc.),
but not business of any kind* had to be run by a huge bureaucracy that dealt with
things that democratic market states left to private activity: production and distribution
of goods and cultural and social life;

e) the Union of the Soviet Socialist republics- USSR- 11 republics ( by 2d Soviet constitution
of 1924- 4 republics)
*Dual life of the soviet society: repressive
and enthusiast labor

II. 2 STAGES IN PERESTROIKA.

1) 1985-1987- working out the concept of perestroika
== glasnost (openness)
== democratization
a) This policy prepared soviet society to radical reforms within socialist model (Gorbachev’s call to “renovate socialism”, returning to Lenin’s roots).
b) second attempt of the reforms after Khrushchev. Moral support of the vast majority of the soviet people to Perestroika on its initial stage
1986- increasing industrial and agrarian production. It was the last success.

Since 1987- decreasing of production in all spheres of economy, that soon turned into deep economic and financial crisis as a snow ball.

2) 1988-1991.
a) Gorbachev’s team attempts to deepen reforms. This caused strong resistance of conservative forces of the society in the centre of the country,

==explosion of nationalism and seeking independence in national republics- members of the USSR.
b) beginning of the rapid polarization of the political forces in the soviet society: separation of the left wing- democrats and radicals. They demanded not only cosmetic reforms, but deep structural changes, they went farther than Gorbachev’s team and wanted totalitarian regime and all its institutions to be completely dismantled. They were many prominent scientists and artists, leaders of independent mass media, new politicians. Broad masses of people, hoping for perestroika to lessen their hardship and improving conditions of life, supported democrats spontaneously.

c) against perestroika forces coalition:
== state and party bureaucrats (nomenklatura).They were choked for a while after perestroika started, but Gorbachev did not take advantage of this situation.
==high rank and advanced age generals of the army
== command of the KGB
==the vast majority of deputies of the legislative
body.
****They tried to displace Gorbachev from his position in the Communist party on the very last 28 congress in 1990 and even demanded to put him under trial for betraying the ideals of communism. They failed.

d) polarization of the forces in the soviet society. Gorbachev’s favorite tactics of maneuvering falters much more oftener and oftener. He did not risk to get rid with party bureaucrats (nomenklatura), where he had been formed. He was not able to become the leader of all democratic forces. He tried to realize a double game: to be good both to conservatives and to democrats. This game provided only temporary success. The initiator of perestroika imperceptibly was loosing his power and influence inside the country, though he still kept high authority abroad.

1) 1985-1987- working out the concept of perestroika
== glasnost (openness)
== democratization
a) This policy prepared soviet society to radical reforms within socialist model (Gorbachev’s call to “renovate socialism”, returning to Lenin’s roots).
b) second attempt of the reforms after Khrushchev. Moral support of the vast majority of the soviet
people to Perestroika on its initial stage
1986- increasing industrial and agrarian production. It was the last success.

Since 1987- decreasing of
production in all spheres of economy, that soon turned into deep economic and financial crisis as a snow ball.