Governing Senate

Senate members 1914

The Governing Senate ( Russian Правительствующий сенат ; often translated as the Conducting Senate ) had been the supreme imperial authority in the Russian Empire since 1711 and was created for internal administration and the judiciary and existed until 1917.

Because of his almost permanent absence in the field of the Great Northern War , Tsar Peter I set up the governing senate as part of his reforms in 1711 on the occasion of the new Turkish campaign. At the same time he replaced the boyar duma .

The Senate was a group of the highest dignitaries in the country who had an advisory role and should be able to lead the government in the absence of Tsar Peter I. With the ukase of February 22nd, 1711 nine men became senators, whereby with the body chancellery as part of the old boyar duma also personal continuities came to light. The Senate was in charge of the judiciary and the entire field of domestic affairs. The previously passed boyar duma was then removed. Wherever possible, the Senate was filled with people who were selected on the basis of their competence. The military and foreign ministries played a key role in this, they were always in close contact with the emperor.

In the years 1711 to 1726 the governing senate was also the highest advisory, controlling and judging authority, and was also the central administrative authority until the colleges were founded in 1718/19. His position of power was only removed by the Supreme Privy Council , which was formed on February 8, 1726. After a coup d'état threatened by this council, Empress Anna dissolved the Supreme Privy Council, gave the Senate back its rank as "ruler" and reappointed a General Procurator, but the Senate no longer got the position it had under Emperor Peter I. would have. Rather, the Empress set up a cabinet ministry on November 10, 1731. After Elizabeth's coup on November 25, 1741, the cabinet was abolished on December 12, 1741. Empress Elisabeth expressly restored the Senate in the form it had existed under her father Peter I, but she too formed a council from a few people.

Since the judicial reform of 1864, the Senate has been primarily the court of cassation and the highest instance of cassation. He supervised the local administration and the courts, published the laws and was responsible for their interpretation. Since 1898 it consisted of six departments.

literature

Erik Amburger : History of the organization of the authorities in Russia from Peter the Great to 1917 (= studies on the history of Eastern Europe. Vol. 10, ISSN 0081-7317 ). Brill, Leiden 1966.

Individual evidence

↑ Erik Amburger , History of the organization of authorities in Russia from Peter the Great until 1917 , Leiden 1966, p. 71
↑ Erik Amburger: History of the organization of authorities in Russia from Peter the Great to 1917. Leiden 1966, pp. 63–65.
^ Max Weber : On the Russian Revolution of 1905. Writings and speeches 1905–1912 (= study edition of the Max Weber Complete Edition . Department 1: Writings and speeches. Vol. 10). Edited by Wolfgang J. Mommsen and Dittmar Dahlmann . Mohr, Tübingen 1996, ISBN 3-16-145625-4 , pp. 432-433.

[1] Erik Amburger , History of the organization of authorities in Russia from Peter the Great until 1917 , Leiden 1966, p. 71

[2] Erik Amburger: History of the organization of authorities in Russia from Peter the Great to 1917. Leiden 1966, pp. 63–65.

[3] Max Weber : On the Russian Revolution of 1905. Writings and speeches 1905–1912 (= study edition of the Max Weber Complete Edition . Department 1: Writings and speeches. Vol. 10). Edited by Wolfgang J. Mommsen and Dittmar Dahlmann . Mohr, Tübingen 1996, ISBN 3-16-145625-4 , pp. 432-433.