First Duma, 1906

What was the first Duma?

The first Duma was the very first parliament in the Russian Empire during the reign of Tsar Nicholas II. It was a historic moment because Russia had never before had an elected parliament.

When did the first Duma exist?

The first Duma existed between 27th April and 8th July, 1906.

What did the first Duma want?

The first Duma wanted 3 key reforms:

• ❖ Land reform, where more land would be taken from the landlords and distributed amongst the people.
• ❖ Political prisoners to be released.
• ❖ The Imperial State Council to be abolished.

Who sat in the first Duma?

The first Duma was made up of 4 main groups:

• ❖ Very few radical left-wing parties because most had boycotted the election.
• ❖ The moderate Constitutional Democrats (Kadets) had the most deputies.
• ❖ The Trudoviks (Labourites) had around 100 deputies.
• ❖ There were a number of smaller parties, including the Octobrists.

What was Nicholas II's reaction to the demands of the first Duma?

Nicholas II was horrified by the demands for reform because he saw them as too radical, so he dissolved the first Duma.

What was the result of Nicholas II dissolving the first Duma?

The liberals were very unhappy when Nicholas II dissolved the first Duma and shut it down. His actions increased their opposition to him.