The Bolsheviks, having defeated the tsarist regime, received at their complete disposal the entire state apparatus. First of all, the new authorities began to print documents and decrees, one of which was the declaration of the rights of the peoples of Russia. Given the fact that the imperial territories were combined with neighboring states, it was necessary to take into account the interests of new citizens. Formally, the new nationalities of Russia were recognized, all were equalized in rights and bound by common duties.
How it all started
The formation of the Soviet totalitarian regime took place under public slogans about universal emancipation. Peasants were free from their masters, warriors from generals, and workers from capitalists. It was these positions that became the basis on which very soon the declaration of the rights of the peoples of Russia was drawn up.
The history of creation is also based on the fact that during the time of imperialism, various sections of the population were opposed to each other. There was a clear division into castes, depending on the pedigree, the amount of family capital and nationality. Often, representatives of various segments of the population were at enmity, and it came to blood. The Bolshevik policy was such that all the nationalities of Russia, all the socio-economic castes were no different from each other. The followers of Lenin considered such enmity a black spot on the country's reputation.
The main provisions of the document
Today, looking into the past of our country, we can say with full confidence that some actions of the communist government, especially at the initial stages of its reign, were very reckless. For the ruling elite, the essence of the declaration of the rights of the peoples of Russia was obvious, and they hoped that each person from the people, the peasant and the landowner, would be able to understand it equally.
The Bolsheviks believed that by giving freedom to all the people who live in the country, they would keep them, would give them the opportunity to independently develop and prosper. In fact, it turned out that people who had been in critically unequal positions for hundreds of years simply went wild with such news. After the declaration of the rights of the peoples of Russia was officially proclaimed, the state plunged into chaos.
Publication day
Personally, Vladimir Lenin proclaimed the declaration of the rights of the peoples of Russia on November 2, 1917 (according to the old style). The leader personally signed it together with his successor I.V. Stalin and recognized as an official state document. The declaration was signed on behalf of the Russian Republic. It is worth noting that the commissariat came to this decision on July 7 of the same year, after the first Congress of Soviets in the city of Petrograd ended.
During the second congress, all the conditions for the adoption of this decree were discussed in more detail. Also, as a supplement, a peace decree was signed prohibiting citizens from resolving any issues through armed conflict.
Key provisions of the declaration
This document was a kind of instruction for conducting domestic policy and further reforms. There were only four points in it, and in the future the interim government assumed the expansion of this list:
- Equality and sovereignty of the peoples of Russia.
- All peoples of Russia had the right to free expression and self-determination, up to separation from the central state apparatus and the creation of a separate country.
- All religious, national and even cultural restrictions were completely cut off. From now on, every citizen had the full right to self-expression.
- All national minorities, as well as ethnographic groups that lived in Russia, received equal rights with the indigenous Slavs, that is, racism was completely eliminated.
Consequences of adoption
As soon as the declaration of the rights of the peoples of Russia was proclaimed, the results of its influence manifested themselves immediately. The country broke up literally before our eyes, like a puzzle. All the territories that the great rulers conquered and annexed over the centuries, sharply declared their sovereignty.
The first to leave Russia was Finland, and the Baltic countries followed. Then they began to proclaim their independence in Ukraine, as well as in all Cossack regions, that is, in Zaporozhye and the Kuban. The last to disconnect from the center of the Caucasus, which was literally beaten by the war over the past hundred years. To tell you the truth, the Bolsheviks expected the opposite result. Such chaos became the reason for further reforms, which were already adopted taking into account earlier mistakes.
Temporary trick
Soon, the declaration of the rights of the peoples of Russia was slightly modified. It was assumed that only those peoples who voluntarily joined the Soviet Union and accepted the status of the republic can declare independence. They had to obey the central government, but at the same time had the right to write their own laws, create separate, local government institutions.
Some ethnic associations voluntarily signed acts of joining the Soviets, but those countries that have already managed to disconnect categorically opposed this.
Military captures
Peoples who refused to voluntarily sign the act of entry into the Union were subjected to military violence. For the Bolsheviks, this was the only way to subjugate the territories on which people rebelled and abandoned their protection. It is clear that at this stage of the formation of the USSR, the declaration of the rights of the peoples of Russia has long been forgotten. The main concern of the authorities was the unification and centralization, and subsequently the introduction of a totalitarian regime. Some territories that were formerly part of the Empire resisted the Red Army. But, as history has shown, this made no sense.
Everything was done exactly the opposite
Endless riots, the desire to separate from the center, self-proclamation and other similar actions were not included in the plans of the Soviets. After the USSR was already clearly formed a full-fledged and united state, clauses appeared in the Constitution that were contrary to the provisions of the previously published declaration.
Oddly enough, the Bolsheviks returned to the unitary practice of governing the country, which was inherent in their predecessors, emperors. All local governments were directly connected to the Kremlin, laws in individual republics could no longer be adopted without the approval of the commissariat. Thus, the new government flowed from one extreme to another, reassuring the people of independence and taking it right there. In a strict unitary and totalitarian regime, as we know, all Soviet republics spent 70 years.
The revolution of 1917. School program
This material, in fact, is not complex and voluminous. Remembering it is easy. But the student who is preparing to pass the exam, it is necessary to keep in mind many such moments from the history of our country. How to quickly navigate and answer the question of what the declaration of the rights of the peoples of Russia proclaimed? A test can give you a tip in the form of a date, the founders of this document, or the problem on the basis of which it was created. If you need to give a detailed answer, then you will find it in the question itself.
It is worth remembering that at the time of the creation of the USSR, numerous national associations were included in the composition of the country. The next clue is rights. This means that certain privileges were granted to the people, therefore, they became more free.
Brief conclusions
1917 for Russia was perhaps the most critical in modern history. For an incredibly short period of time, several official names of the country changed, regimes and types of government succeeded each other, like pictures in a silent movie, people were limited in freedom, then released on all four sides, then again shackled. The Declaration of the Rights of the Peoples of Russia is only one drop in this bottomless ocean, which received a loud and climax name - “Revolution”.