Third Duma, 1907 to 1912

What was the third Duma?

The third Duma was the third parliament while Nicholas II was the Tsar of Russia.

When did the third Duma exist?

The third Duma was in session between November 1907 and June 1912.

What laws did the third Duma pass?

The third Duma cooperated with, and supported Nicholas II, far more than the previous two. This meant more laws proposed by Stolypin were passed in the following areas:

• ❖ Land reform.
• ❖ Social welfare measures.
• ❖ Improvements to the military.

Who sat in the third Duma?

The third Duma:

• ❖ Was affected by Prime Minister Stolypin's alteration of the electoral system, which gave landowners more voting power so only the richest third of the population could vote.
• ❖ Saw more pro-tsar conservative deputies elected, such as the Octobrists, so they and other conservatives had most of the seats.
• ❖ Had fewer deputies from non-Russian regions.

What was the response of the political parties to the third Duma?

There were 2 key responses to the changes made to the electoral system and the impact this had on the third Duma:

• ❖ The liberals were very unhappy as they realised Nicholas II and his government would never allow true democracy or give up their autocratic powers.
• ❖ The more radical parties were angered by the changes and more groups began to favour revolution.