The Progressive Bloc is a unique phenomenon in the history of national parliamentarism. This is the first example when parties, irreconcilable in many issues, acted as a united front against the country's slide into the abyss of economic and political crisis. In the difficult conditions of the ongoing World War I, the liberal public tried to share responsibility with the autocracy, but Nicholas II did not want to make any serious concessions, which ultimately led to the loss of supreme power and the collapse of the Russian Empire.
Progressive block: background of creation
The creation of the Progressive Bloc in the State Duma is a logical outcome of the socio-economic and political events taking place in the country at that time. Russia's entry into the World War on August 1, 1914 caused a very bright outburst of enthusiasm throughout the country. Representatives of almost all factions of the State Duma did not stand aside. Regardless of their political views, the Cadets, the Octobrists, and the Trudoviks showed their full support for the government of Nicholas II andcalled on the population to unite in the face of the danger threatening the Fatherland.
However, this unanimity turned out to be a short-lived outbreak. The war dragged on, instead of the promised victories and the annexation of the "ancient Constantinople", the army suffered a number of significant defeats. The voice of the Bolsheviks, who were not represented in the Duma, became more and more heard, who accused Nicholas II of unleashing a war in the interests of large industrialists and financiers and called for the soldiers to deploy weapons to overthrow the monarchy. These appeals took place against the background of the deteriorating economic situation in the country and the “ministerial leapfrog” in the highest echelons of power. The formation of the Progressive Bloc in such circumstances was de facto the last opportunity for peaceful transformation to maintain stability in the country.
Creation process
The unification process was started by the congresses of a number of parties, which took place during June-July 1915. Despite the fact that there were very significant differences between the same Cadets and the Octobrists, they declared almost in unison that the situation inside the country, due to defeats at the fronts, began to deteriorate rapidly. To stabilize the situation, it was proposed to combine the efforts of the liberal forces and seek from the emperor the creation of a government responsible not only to him, but also to the deputies. On August 22, an agreement was signed between six factions of the State Duma and three of the State Council, which went down in history as the Progressive Bloc.
Peculiarities of the staff of the Progressive Bloc
The composition of this political association is very curious. Formally, the largest faction included in it was the Union of October 17, but the very cautious policy of this association led to the fact that its representatives were more likely to compromise with the authorities than to present any tough demands to it. Therefore, representatives of the Cadets party, headed by Pavel Milyukov, quickly came to the fore. The Constitutional Democrats saw the creation of the Progressive Bloc as an important step in Russia's path to a real constitutional monarchy. The Cadets actively used the possibilities of association to relay their program demands, as well as to actively involve representatives of other parties in their ranks.
The Progressive Bloc also included representatives of such factions as Zemstvo-Octobrists, nationalists standing on a progressive platform, centrists and progressives. In total, the new association in the State Duma included 236 deputies, and if we add the deputies of the State Council to them, we get a very impressive figure of three hundred people. Meller-Zakomelsky, one of the leaders of the Union of October 17, was elected the formal leader; the bloc's bureau included 25 people, of whom Milyukov, Efremov, Shidlovsky and Shulgin were the most active.
Progressive bloc in the State Duma: program and basic requirements
At the heart of the program of a new political association in the State Dumalay several key provisions. Firstly, this is the resignation of the current Cabinet of Ministers and the creation of a new government that will not only enjoy the confidence of the majority of representatives of the deputy corps, but is also ready to share responsibility with the "progressives". Secondly, jointly with the new Government, the creation of an action program aimed at maintaining social peace in the country, and a clear division of powers between civilian and military authorities. Finally, thirdly, the creation of the Progressive Bloc in the Duma, in the opinion of its founders, should have become a guarantee for the rule of law in the country.
Of the specific events that the leaders of the new political entity proposed to hold in the very near future, it is worth noting the solution of the national question in the country. Thus, it was proposed to equalize the rights of the Jews with other peoples, to give broad autonomy to Poland and Finland, to restore the rights of the population of Galicia. In addition, the Progressive Bloc in the State Duma, almost immediately after its formation, raised the issue of amnesty for political prisoners and the resumption of the activity of trade unions before the Government. However, even the formulation of these demands caused a tough rebuff not only from the Council of Ministers, but also from representatives of the monarchist factions in the Duma.
Crisis and shutdown
The progressive bloc had a rather motley composition, which predetermined serious friction among its members. The culmination of thisassociation was the performance in August 1916 of a number of its representatives against the Government and its leader Stürmer. The harsh criticism to which he was subjected, in particular, by P. Milyukov, forced the head of the Council of Ministers to resign, but the government line did not change fundamentally. This, in turn, gave rise to serious contradictions between the moderate wing of the bloc and the more radical "progressives". After a series of discussions, the latter left the Progressive Bloc in December 1916. There were a few weeks left before the February Revolution.
Disappointing results
The creation of the Progressive Bloc in the State Duma seemed to give the country a chance to peacefully overcome the economic and political crises caused by Russia's failures in the First World War. However, the unwillingness of the tsarist authorities to make serious concessions, coupled with internal contradictions within the bloc itself, prevented these opportunities from becoming a reality.
